Audra CarverALDI grocery stores are coming to the Valley of the Sun. The chain, first established in Germany, has made its way to the U.S. with more than 1,800 stores across 35 states where it is “one of the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S.,” an ALDI spokesperson explained. “The company is charting an aggressive course to reach 2,500 stores by the end of 2022 and is currently exploring opportunities in Arizona as well as several other markets.”
This efficient and cost effective grocery store chain has made considerable efforts to offer goods at the lowest cost to the consumer. Ninety percent of the items in the store are branded through ALDI and have been thoughtfully selected for quality in order to save consumers time and money. Rather than hiring grocery cart attendants and security, the grocery store has implemented a system where shoppers pay a quarter for cart rental, which will then be refunded upon returning the cart. This is a no frills solution to grocery shopping on a budget without sacrificing quality.
Currently, conversation is buzzing around the state about which cities will be lucky enough to receive this alternative grocery store option. The rapidly growing city of Buckeye was the first location to be confirmed and announced to receive an ALDI. Buckeye Economic Development Director David Roderique explained why Buckeye was an ideal location for the chain to make their debut in the state. “I believe they specifically wanted to come to Buckeye because they were aware of the tremendous opportunity to build a store in an underserved market that is growing very rapidly,” Roderique said. “Buckeye is the 5th fastest growing city (over 50,000) in the U.S. and the fastest growing city in Arizona. As such, by being positioned at one of the best retail intersections in the City of Buckeye, ALDI is poised to capture this growing market and achieve long term success.”
Gilbert is another city rumored to receive an ALDI grocery store. Kathy Tilque, the president and CEO of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, expressed the opportunity she sees in the new grocery store addition. “ALDI provides a unique shopping environment and opportunity to showcase Gilbert: strategically located on the Gilbert/Chandler/Mesa borders will bring neighboring residents to Town to try this new grocery experience which brings additional tax dollars to Gilbert” Tilque said. “We have found time and time again that newly opened Gilbert branches exceed other startups company-wide in their first-year earnings. We would expect that same result for ALDI.”
The positivity surrounding this grocery store chain has lead to high anticipation from both sides; cities look forward to another grocery store offering and consumers anxiously await the savings.
Guest Contributor
Joseph Kavetsky
Apache Junction would be a GREAT place to put an Aldi store!!