ALDI is the new store on the block
Staff photo by Connor Cummiskey
The ALDI store in New Ulm is located at 1604 Westridge Road in New Ulm.
German-based grocery chain’s opening drew enthusiastic crowd By Connor Cummiskey Staff Writer NEW ULM — On October 20, 2016 Germany-based grocery store ALDI (1604 Westridge Road) opened for the first time in New Ulm. The long-awaited opening drew a big crowd. The line in for the grocery store stretched two blocks. The first 100 customers to the store received a “golden ticket” containing ALDI gift cards of differing values. Every customer that day was able to explore the new store and enter a sweepstakes for one year worth of ALDI produce. The preliminary plat for the new store was approved in January of last year. The final form was approved in February and construction began in May. ALDI has made a name for itself by offering lower prices through cost cutting measures such as grocery carts that require a 25 cent deposit to use. ALDI is a different kind of grocery shopping experience from most major markets. The vast majority of the product is sells is a store brand. You won’t find major brands of things like soups, cereals and soap. Instead, shoppers find lower-priced alternatives. In 2016 ALDI announced a couple of brand-wide changes to its stores across the United States. In January the company announced changes to its checkout lanes to offer healthier options, according to a press release. Instead of candy bars and choco-
Journal file photo by Clay Schuldt
Customers waiting for the opening of the new ALDI store in New Ulm waited in a long line stretching nearly two blocks long on Oct. 20.
late ALDI stated it would stock granola bars, trail mix and dried fruit in the checkout lanes. ALDI cited the reputation of the lanes for encouraging unhealthy impulse purchases as one reason for the change, according to the press release. The company also added a new way to pay. In March ALDI an-
nounced it would begin accepting credit cards at all U.S. stores, according to another press release. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover were all on the list of accepted cards. The store assured its customers that the move would not effect prices, according to the press release. The grocer also began moving
into southern California in 2016. It is expected to be operating approximately 2,000 stores across the U.S. by 2018, according to press releases. Connor Cummiskey can be emailed at ccummiskey@nujournal.com.