BATAVIA, Ill. -- A day after upscale grocer Whole Foods Market Inc. announced that it will begin opening a small-format, value-focused, "convenience" version of its larger stores, small-format discount grocer Aldi has announced that it will launch its first stores in Southern California in March 2016, expecting to open approximately 25 stores before July 2016.
Since opening its first store in 1976, Aldi has achieved measured, but steady growth, and today, Aldi operates nearly 1,400 stores across 32 states.
The Aldi expansion to California is an integral part of a five-year strategic plan to open 650 new stores across the nation. By the end of 2018, Aldi expects to operate nearly 2,000 stores, enabling Aldi to offer its groceries at everyday low prices to more than 45 million customers each month. To support its expansion plan, Aldi will invest more than $3 billion to pay for land, facilities and equipment.
“At Aldi, we firmly believe that amazing quality can be affordable, and we are excited to bring our small-format, convenient grocery shopping experience to Southern California,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi. “We back up that belief by offering our shoppers great-tasting foods--from fresh produce, meats, dairy and breads to cereals, pastas and wines--at a significant savings compared to the national brands.”
To reach its aggressive expansion goals, Aldi will create more than 10,000 new jobs at its stores, warehouses and division offices from coast to coast.
“We recognize and value the excellent customer experience that our employees at every level deliver each day, and we know that we would not be growing at this accelerated pace without them,” said Hart. “Our approach to attracting and, equally as important, retaining the best employees is two-fold. First, we offer our associates generous compensation, including benefits, which is well above the industry standard. Second, we operate within a culture that is based on respect, honesty, responsibility and open communication. Together, this is an unbeatable combination.”
Aldi, with U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., operates nearly 1,400 stores in 32 states, primarily from Kansas to the East Coast. With a "simple and streamlined" approach to retailing, Aldi sells more than 1,300 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands.
Meanwhile, Portland, Ore.-based convenience-store/grocer Green Zebra Grocery has closed a $2.5-million funding round on Circle Up, a crowdfunding site for accredited investors, reported The Portland Business Journal. The deal sets the stage for the fledgling food concept to open its second location.
Founder and president Lisa Sedlar formed Green Zebra in 2013 to bring fresh and healthy foods to neighborhoods in a convenience-store format. The first Green Zebra debuted in late 2013 in Portland's Kenton neighborhood. That store too was funded with investments placed through CircleUp.
Sedlar said she is interested in expanding the concept to West Coast markets where it can find space in walkable neighborhoods, said the report.
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