Aldi in the family

Chloe Riley is the Executive Editor of Supermarket News, which delivers the ultimate in competitive business intelligence, news and information for executives in the food retail and grocery industry. A graduate of the School of Journalism at Columbia College Chicago, Chloe previously served as a Digital Strategist at SEO firm Profound Strategy, Associate Editor at B2B hospitality mag HOTELS Magazine, as well as CEO of her own digital strategy company, Chlowe.

I love working in this industry and I especially love the people I get to work with. Smart, goofy, hard-working, and willing to don an Aldi cap on a whim! The SN team had an in-person pow-wow recently and we just had to snap a pic of these epic Aldi hats, a la a recent merch drop from the retailer, which included socks, windbreakers, pet sweatshirts, and, as my colleague Timothy Inklebarger noted: “an impossibly inexpensive pair of sneakers for just $12.99.”

Aldi is making some interesting moves right now. Just at the moment when Amazon has announced that it’s backing off its “Just Walk Out” technology, Aldi has announced it’s going full speed ahead with the launch of “Aldigo,” a pilot program at one of their Chicago-area stores that features the discount grocer’s own version of checkout-free technology.

Related:Could Aldi surpass Kroger Co. store count?

According to Aldi, neither the store’s planogram nor its product displays were changed to accommodate the tech. In March, Aldi also announced that it plans to open 800 U.S. locations by end of 2028 — a plan that includes the grocer’s purchase of Southeastern Grocers, owner of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets banners, which closed in April.

It’s exciting to see where it’s all headed, and even more exciting when you have a solid team by your side. So kick back, throw your Aldi cap on your noggin, and come along with Team SN for the ride. You won’t regret it!