NEWS that Aldi will open more than 200 US stores this year has sparked a buzz.
The German discount giant is America’s fastest-growing retailer of 2025, behind only the two big dollar-store chains, Coresight Research data recently revealed.
Aldi’s four-tier strategy of smaller stores, fewer choices, simple displays and private-label goods keep prices low, says John Arnold[/caption]
American billionaire philanthropist John Arnold has hailed Aldi as a winner over Kroger in a post on X.
Slamming his local Kroger for “choice overload”, he wrote: “Aldi is going to crush it in the US.
“The concept of smaller footprint, limited selection, simpler display, and mostly private label to achieve a lower price point is spot on.
“The endless rows and selection used to amaze the Soviets.
“But it’s been taken too far, creating choice paralysis, wasting time, and driving up costs. Just wish Aldi was publicly traded.”
It’s a formula Aldi bosses say is striking a chord with inflation-weary shoppers, who are desperate for lower grocery bills but still want organics and quality meats.
Smaller than traditional US supermarkets, the chain leans on its own label – which makes up 90 per cent of its products – to keep prices down.
Products are displayed in crates, saving staff the work of stacking shelves and keeping displays simple.
And analysts agree. “This is really Aldi’s time to shine,” Neil Saunders of research firm GlobalData told the Wall Street Journal last week.
“You can shop on a real budget at Aldi and get quite a lot for your money.”
Aldi plans to push into some of the most crowded corners of America.
The biggest store yet will open in New York City next summer, planted near Times Square to tap into tourist traffic and the area’s booming population.
The 25,000-square-foot outlet, in the base of luxury rental tower the Ellery, will be far larger than the chain’s typical footprint.
Aldi first landed in the US in 1976 with a store in Iowa.
Today, it ranks as the country’s third-largest grocery chain by store count.
The discount chain is regarded as a lower-budget Trader Joe’s, which was also founded by German brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht.
Nearly half of this year’s new stores will come from conversions of former Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets, after Aldi’s 2023 buyout of Southeastern Grocers.
The chain now plans to top 800 US stores by the end of 2028.
There are 2567 Aldi stores in the US, as per its website[/caption]
