Fast-growing German discount grocery chain Aldi on Thursday opened its newest Chicago area store. Located on the northwest side of Chicago in North Riverside, Illinois, at 7517 W. Cermak Rd., the 12,000-square-foot store is part of the grocer's expansion in the Midwest.
The discount grocer's new Chicago-area location features an expanded produce area which is "incredibly important for our customers," Marcos Lopez, director of store operations, told WGB. "We deliver fresh produce to this store and every other store every single day." The new Aldi offers its shoppers a wide selection of organic produce as well such as tomatoes, broccoli and more.
Looking to boost its attention to fresh, the new store features colorful signage to engage shoppers. The new store "allows more room for added fresh, high-quality products at affordable prices, which our loyal shoppers know and love,” Batavia Division VP Heather McCarthy said.
The store features new eco-friendly materials, including refrigeration and LED lighting. The grocer is also focused on other sustainable solutions as Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi U.S., issued an open letter last year on Aldi’s website announcing a new commitment to eliminate plastic shopping bags from all stores by the end of 2023.
With the discount grocer's "It’s an Aldi Thing" tag line, the middle aisle is a popular destination for shoppers seeking out the latest "Aldi finds" on seasonal items. Shoppers can discover weekly offerings of limited-time Aldi Finds like candles, holiday foods, home goods and more.
The new store features the discounter’s popular wine selection—a key category for Aldi—that offers shoppers a wide selection of private label, international, regional and limited-time offers on wines at affordable prices.
As the food-at-home trend continues to grow, Aldi's Quick Meals section of the new store offers shoppers a wide selection of prepared meals. These value-added options are items shoppers continue to return to as the at home trend is sticking.
A nationwide egg shortage was not on display at the new Chicago area grand opening on Thursday. Priced at $4.82 a dozen, the new store was stocked and ready for shoppers when the doors opened to the public at 8:30 a.m.
With 12,000 square feet of retail space, the new store also includes contactless shopping alongside its regular checkout lanes with four self-check out stations. As part of the grand opening celebration, the store is offering shoppers now through Sunday a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 Aldi gift card.
The new store features four curbside pickup areas for shoppers wanting a convenient shopping option. Nearly all Aldi locations offer grocery delivery, and curbside grocery pickup, Aldi said.
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The stresses of the ongoing pandemic, coupled with mounting economic uncertainty, social unrest and more have fueled a pressure cooker for grocery and convenience store customers and their employees.
U.S. consumers in 2022 were nothing if not channel surfers. Tuned into a widening lineup of local retailers offering fresh food, consumers were willing to shop around and try new retailer categories as they sought to ease the pinch of grocery inflation, which stood at 11.8% in December.
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