As Americans grow more and more concerned about the price of groceries, discount grocer Aldi is planning a substantial expansion across the United States.
The European store has announced plans to open 800 new stores across the country over the next five years as part of a $9 billion initiative. The announcement came at the same time Aldi announced the completion of its acquisition of Southeastern Grocers, which owns the Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket brands, indicating it plans a robust expansion in the southeastern region, though both store conversions and new locations.
While the company did not announce specific locations where it plans to open the new stores, it did say it plans to add nearly 330 stores in the Northeast and Midwest by the end of 2028 and plans to grow its presence in the West, adding more stores in Southern California and Phoenix—and entering new cities, including Las Vegas.
“Our growth is fueled by our customers, and they are asking for more ALDI stores in their neighborhoods nationwide,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi in a statement. “With this commitment to add 800 stores in the next five years, we’ll be where our shoppers need us while positively impacting the communities we serve.”
Food prices are increasingly impacting people’s household budgets—and there are no signs of an imminent slowdown in those rising bills. The consumer price index (CPI) for all food items increased 0.6% from December 2023 to January 2024 and was 1.2% higher than in January of last year. Restaurant prices are up 5.1% compared with the same time last year.
Aldi has been an increasingly popular choice with shoppers, who are willing to accept its smaller offering of products for the discounts they can find there. Aldi’s expansion comes as U.S. Government has moved to block a proposed $25 billion merger of Kroger and Albertson’s.