Discounter Aldi has announced that it plans to open 225 new stores in the US in 2025. This is the most stores Aldi will open in one year in its nearly 50-year US history. Currently, the retailer operates over 2,400 stores there, which is already much more than the approximately 2,000 stores that Aldi has in its home country Germany. The US expansion is part of the next phase of its five-year national growth strategy.
The new stores will open through a combination of organic growth and converting select Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores to the Aldi banner. With the move, the retailer is adding to its established footprint in some regions and entering into new regions.
Aldi said that in 2024, 19 million new shoppers were drawn to its stores in the US. In November, Aldi US President Dave Rinaldo spoke at PLMA’s Chicago trade show about Aldi’s growth plans. He also stressed that the time is right for private label growth throughout the industry. "Private label is having a moment. Amid inflation, shoppers discovered they don’t need to sacrifice quality to save money," said Rinaldo. "In fact, 90% of shoppers say they’ll continue to buy private label in the future."
The keys to private label success, Rinaldo added, are "obsessing over quality, innovating to excite shoppers, controlling costs, and keeping our customers at the centre of everything we do.”