Shop at Aldi? Most stores to be remodeled, expanded in $1.6 billion plan

Aldi shoppers could be in for a new and improved shopping experience over the next few years as the company invests $1.6 billion back into its stores.

The nationwide plan would include remodels and expansions to more than 1,300 U.S. stores by 2020, the company said in a news release this week. Aldi has more than 1,600 stores in the U.S. in 35 states.

The company didn’t say specifically which stores would see changes but the new looks will modernize the stores and create a more “convenient shopping experience” with an emphasis on fresh items, including produce, dairy and bakery sections.

Remodeled stores will feature “a modern design, open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally friendly building materials – such as recycled materials, energy saving refrigeration and LED lighting.”

“With this significant investment in our stores, what we’re really doing is continuing to invest in Aldi customers,” said Jason Hart, Aldi CEO. “We’re continuing to expand our fresh offerings, which means we need to provide more space for produce, meat, and bakery items. We’ve also made a number of improvements to our products - such as removing added MSG, certified synthetic colors and partially hydrogenated oils from all of our Aldi-exclusive brand foods. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that our customers still save money on the groceries they buy the most.”

And while there’s a lot of grocery store competition in the Triangle, Aldi has seen significant growth in the past few years. Aldi serves more than 40 million customers per month, according to the news release, a more than 60 percent increase since 2013.

And Aldi isn’t only planning to improve most of the U.S. locations it already has. It’s also planning to add more stores – 650 across the U.S. which will cost more than $3 billion.

Aldi’s reinvestment in its stores might be coming at the right time since the Triangle anticipates adding a few Lidl locations. Lidl is a German grocer – one of the biggest supermarket chains in the world – and a fierce Aldi rival outside the U.S.

Lidl broke ground in Wake Forest in August, has plans for one Raleigh and two Cary stores and was considering a Clayton location.

This story was originally published February 12, 2017 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Shop at Aldi? Most stores to be remodeled, expanded in $1.6 billion plan."