Aldi ramps up US store opening

Aldi is ramping up its store opening programme in the US with a $3.4 billion investment to open 900 more stores over the next five years.

Aldi US is set to open a further 900 stores in the next five years [image: Aldi US]The announcement came as rival Lidl gets ready to open its first stores in the US this week.

Aldi said the $3.4 billion investment in store openings in the US over the next five years would take its total store number in North America to around 2,500, making it the third largest grocery store in the US, serving around 100 million customers per month. It is also planning to revamp around 1,300 existing stores with a further cash injection of $1.6 billion.

The German retailer opened in the US in 1976 but now operates 1,600 stores across 35 states.

CEO Jason Hart said the company had “pioneered a grocery model built around value, convenience, quality and selection” to become one of America’s fastest growing retailers.

“We’re growing at a time when other retailers are struggling,” he said. “We are giving our customers what they want.”

One of the areas that Aldi US has promised to continue evolving is its selection of specialty wines.

In the UK, Aldi has built a strong reputation for its wine selection, which it has admitted helps to “pull in the punters” and increase its appeal among more affluent shoppers. This year the UK discounter scooped the Drinks Business 2017 Award for Best Drinks Retailer after seeing wine sales grow by 15%, well ahead of the market. This result was boosted by the growth of its online wine operation which launched in 2016 and has already sold more than 2 million bottles, driven by sales of sparkling wine, notably Prosecco and Champagne, as well as its premium own-brand wines.

Aldi US has said it will increase its speciality wine category [image: Aldi US]