Aldi, a German chain that is expanding heavily across the United
States, is opening their new Mesa store on the Northeast corner
of Guadalupe and Signal Butte on March 30. The store was originally slated to open in 2020. This store joins others opened over the past few years in Gilbert and Queen Creek.
Aldi dates back to 1946 and considers themselves to be a disruptor in the American supermarket industry and seeks to become the third largest grocer in the U.S. behind Walmart and Kroger (who operates as Fry’s in Arizona.) They are currently ranked 15th in the nation.
In 1962, Aldi was split into two separate companies – Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud. Aldi Sud is the parent company of the specialty grocer Trader Joe’s, while Aldi is part of Aldi Nord.
Aldi is known as being a no-frills discount chain that sells its own branded food. They boast that the brands are made by the country’s leading food producers and have the same or higher quality as national name brands. The store also offers weekly special offers on other products such as electronics, tools, appliances, and computers with limits on quantities and only good for one week.
Grocery customers bag their own groceries and rent carts by depositing a quarter and regaining their deposit by returning the cart. Curstomers also either bring their own bags or buy reusable ones at checkout.
Aldi also keeps limited hours of operation and only a few employees working in a store at any given time. Aldi has a reputation for starting employees out higher than mininum wage.
