Aldi is the fastest growing supermarket chain in the United States. This German-born retailer offers a minimalist and satisfying shopping experience, and its loyal customers are falling more and more in love with its prices and its stores. Such is the level of fanaticism of Aldi’s followers, that even couple Michael Hurd and Jessica Bojanowski got married in the fruit and vegetable section of the company’s flagship US location, in Batavia, Illinois. The most romantic thing about this story is that they had been dating at the supermarket while shopping together.
Michael and Jessica are going to have to get used to having more and more people inside of their favorite dating place. For sure, there will be more and more buyers, because people are looking for better prices in the midst of inflation that attacks the pockets of American households. And that’s what Aldi offers.
How Does Aldi Keeps Offering Such Great Prices?
In October of last year, the Aldi company, which was installed in the USA for the first time in 1976, revealed that more than 1 million new shoppers had walked down its aisles, taking advantage of the super competitive prices that other chains are trying to imitate (with little success). Then, in January 2023, the company opened its 26th distribution center to continue improving distribution and supply systems, trying to lower prices more for its customers.
Now, how does Aldi keep prices low when they are increasing everywhere? Well, that’s because the retailer chain is a discount supermarket, which perform well because they prioritize good prices over other areas of operation. Its stores are sober, economical to operate, barely with the necessary employees and designed in an eco-friendly way (consuming little electricity).
Another of Aldi’s tricks lies in catching in the air a cultural change of American consumers: now people cook much more than before. Thus, Aldi stores now offer more fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables and meats, for this new trend of healthy home cooking. And to top it off, with its well-oiled logistics network, it is committed to selling local products, produced within walking distance of each location. All this is complemented by a large investment in its digital offer and in its online shopping platforms.
While the retailer was able to open and remodel 139 locations last year, those are still more new openings than any other grocery store in the U.S., and that’s something that makes nervous their competitors.
Aldi to Grow in the Sun Belt
Now, the company has its sights set on the Sun Belt, the area of the nation that attracted the most residents during the pandemic. The term “Sunbelt” or (Sun Belt) refers to the strip of the United States between the 37th parallel and the border with Mexico.
Fourteen states are located in this strategic area: the southern half of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Within this region there are great cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, and many more. Stay aware: maybe your city is the next to have an Aldi store opening.