Arcadia will be among the first cities in California to open a new Aldi low-price grocery store in the coming months. Aldi is owned by Aldi Nord, a German-based company that is sister to Aldi Süd, the latter of which owns Trader Joe’s (the two Aldi divisions were split from their parents company decades ago). In a recent Market Force Information consumer survey, Aldi was chosen as one of the top three favorite grocery store chains in America, as well as named the leading low-price grocery store for the fourth consecutive year.
Site of new Aldi store in former south half of CVS store – CVS remains open in the northern half of the building.
Aldi targeted Arcadia months ago, with the former southern half of the CVS store at 1401 S. Baldwin Avenue in the retail strip mall at Naomi Avenue having been sealed off last winter in preparation for the reconfiguring of the space for the Aldi store. Aldi director of real estate Paul Cornejo told ArcadiasBest.com that the company is leasing 25,000 square feet of space from CVS, which is remaining in the northern 18,000 square feet. The two spaces are owned by two different property owners. City of Arcadia officials say they are progressing with Aldi officials and hope to get the store into the Plan Check phase soon. Cornejo says that even though construction work will continue on the store and it will likely be ready to go in a few months, it will not open until March at the earliest because the company has yet to set up a regional distribution center (the closest one right now is in Texas). That center is being built in Moreno Valley. Once that is built, Aldi will begin the hiring and training of employees for the California stores, including Arcadia.
Aldi offers fresh, high-quality groceries, primarily under the store’s own brand.
Aldi generates savings for its customers through a low-overhead, focused approach that includes:
Volume purchasing: By concentrating its full buying power on 1,300 of the most commonly purchased grocery items in the most common size, Aldi secures sizable discounts.
Exclusive brand products: More than 90 percent of products at Aldi are their own exclusive brands rather than national brands.
Other Aldi customer service offerings:
In the Aldi Test Kitchen, Aldi ensures that its products meet or exceed the quality and taste of national name brands.
All Aldi food products are backed by the Double Guarantee. If for any reason a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with any Aldi food product, Aldi will gladly replace the product and refund the purchase price.
Special Buys: Each week, ALDI offers 20-30 food and non-food products at a great value that include everything from small kitchen appliances and seasonal items to outdoor furniture and gardening tools.
· No hidden costs: ALDI has a streamlined approach that avoids non-essential services such as banking, pharmacies and check cashing. Those savings result in lower prices for consumers.
“At Aldi, we firmly believe that amazing quality can be affordable, and we are excited to bring our small-format, convenient grocery shopping experience to Southern California,” said Jason Hart, CEO, ALDI. “We back up that belief by offering our shoppers great-tasting foods – from fresh produce, meats, dairy and breads to cereals, pastas and wines – at a significant savings compared to the national brands.”
The nearly 40 year-old chain with 1,400 stores, 19,000 employees in 32 states primarily from Kansas to the East Coast, and 45 million customers each month, announced this week that it is embarking on a $3 billion expansion plan in California as part of a five-year plan to increase its operations by about 50% with the opening of 650 new stores nationwide to reach 2,000 outlets by 2018.
Aldi says the company has a long track record of being an employer of choice, offering generous wages and benefits that are higher than the national average for the retail industry. In Southern California, Aldi will offer starting wages of $13 per hour for store associates, with an opportunity for longstanding associates to earn up to $21 per hour. Store and warehouse employees will average 33-40 hours each week and will be eligible for full benefits, including health insurance, dental coverage and the opportunity to participate in the company’s 401(k) program with matching contributions.
By the end of 2016, Aldi will employ more than 1,100 people to work in its Southern California stores and the company’s regional headquarters and warehouse in Moreno Valley, Ca. The company plans to invest more than $3 billion to pay for land, facilities and equipment.
— By Scott Hettrick