Aldi reveals its supercharged 2023 growth plans

Aldi’s brick-and-mortar footprint in the U.S. is about to get even bigger.

The discount grocer, which frequently opens multiple new stores per week, revealed plans to add a total of 120 new locations in 2023, bringing Aldi’s store count nationwide to more than 2,400 by the end of the year.

At a time when inflation has grocery prices still high, demand remains strong for discount grocers, both in store and online. Aldi is also known for its private-label offerings and for its Aldi Finds aisle stocked with discretionary merchandise such as clothing and household goods. 

“While inflation is undoubtedly driving unprecedented demand for affordable groceries, we know that once customers experience the Aldi difference, they keep shopping with us, even when the economy improves,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi U.S., in a statement. “Our growth is led by our customers, and they continue to want more Aldi locations coast-to-coast.”

Aldi’s 2023 expansion plans come on the heels of a banner year for the discount grocer. In 2022, Aldi opened and remodeled 139 stores. Last February, the Batavia, Illinois-based chain said it planned to open approximately 150 new stores in 2022, to become the third-largest U.S. grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022, but fell short of that goal.

Turning to this year’s growth thus far, Aldi in the first quarter has opened 35 stores, with 5.3 million new shoppers as of last month. On Thursday, Aldi will open new stores in Thorndale, Pennsylvania, and St. Charles, Missouri.

As part of this national expansion, Aldi is looking to hire close to 2,000 workers.

Aldi’s march into new markets include areas such as Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and New Orleans. Other growth territories include the Southeast region. Aldi opened its 26th regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, to support the new store growth in the area.

Aldi is also eyeing market penetration in the Midwest. As Walmart closed four of its Chicago stores last month, Aldi is doubling down with its Chicago area growth.  

A new Aldi store is underway at 4747 W. Irving Park Rd. at Six Corners, a shopping district in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago's Northwest Side. The discount grocer will also open a new store in the Chicago suburb of La Grange Park, furthering its expansion already underway in and around the Windy City.

The brick-and-mortar expansion is part of a larger omnichannel experience designed to make grocery shopping as convenient and enjoyable as possible, Aldi said in a statement.

With no rewards or loyalty system, Aldi continues to capture market share in the grocery space. Visits during the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022 were up 7.3% year over year, foot-traffic analytics firm Placer.ai found in its report: Aldi’s Success Highlights Growing Demand for Value Groceries.

“Aldi’s basic formula—an unadorned shopping experience that provides quality goods without the fuss—has propelled the chain into the U.S. grocery stratosphere in recent years,” Placer.ai author Lila Margali wrote.