Aldi will open 120 new stores this year
- Aldi will open 120 new stores in the U.S. this year.
- The new stores will open throughout the U.S., including in new markets.
- As a value-oriented grocer, Aldi has resonated with shoppers amid economic hardships.
Aldi plans to open 120 grocery stores in the U.S. this year, building on the 139 stores it built or remodeled last year.
According to an April 28 release, Aldi will have more than 2,400 stores nationwide by the end of the year. In the first quarter of this year, Aldi opened 35 new stores and has served 5.3 million new customers as of April, according to the release.
As Retail Leader previously reported, Aldi has resonated with consumers as they search for value amid inflated prices in the channel and other economic hardships. Visits to Aldi increased by 1.4% in the first quarter, according to Placer.ai’s foot traffic index. As part of the new stores opened last year, Aldi said it welcomed 9.4 million new customers in 2022, driving double-digit year-over-year (YoY) growth.
“While inflation is undoubtedly driving unprecedented demand for affordable groceries, we know that once customers experience the Aldi difference, they keep shopping with us, even when the economy improves,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi U.S., in the release. “Our growth is led by our customers, and they continue to want more ALDI locations coast-to-coast.”
Aldi targets shoppers with a promise of everyday low prices and a wide assortment of private-label products, which have become increasingly popular with shoppers. Aldi ranked 12th on Dunhumby’s annual “Retailer Preference Index,” which found that consumers’ top choices for groceries include H-E-B, Amazon, Costco, Wegmans and Sam’s Club. Other hallmark features of an Aldi store include consumers bagging their own purchases, shoppers depositing a quarter for a shopping cart and Aldi Finds, an assortment of discounted non-grocery items.
The Aldi openings will take place nationwide including in the Southeast, where Aldi opened a regional headquarters and distribution facility in Loxley, Alabama, in January. It is the 26th regional headquarters and distribution center for Aldi in the U.S. The grocer will also open its first stores in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the release said.
Aldi also in the release said the new stores were part of Aldi’s growing omnichannel efforts, which include its stores, third-party delivery partners and its own proprietary e-commerce shopping platform. The grocer also highlighted its efforts to make its stores more sustainable, which include installing solar panels on store roofs, eliminating single-use plastic bags and using environmentally friendly refrigerants, the release said.