Aldi ups its store count with opening Thursday in Louisiana

No-frills German discount grocery chain Aldi is coming to Louisiana, again—bringing the store count in the state to five.

As part of the grocer’s Gulf Coast expansion, Aldi will open its first store in LaPlace, Louisiana, on Thursday. The new store will be located at 1910 W. Airline Hwy., edging Aldi closer to its goal of becoming the third-largest U.S. grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022, the discount grocer said. Aldi currently has 2,200 stores across 38 states.

The opening is part of the company’s nationwide growth plan, which includes the opening of approximately 150 new stores this year—close to 20 of which will be in Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and Louisiana, Aldi said.

“Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we’ve been voted the price leader for five years running,” said Heather Moore, division VP for Aldi, in a statement. “We offer easy access to affordable fresh food and household essentials, as well as a great selection of regional items. Our new Gulf Coast locations will carry local favorites such as Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, Crystal’s Hot Sauce, Blue Plate Mayonnaise, Blue Bell Ice Cream and Luzianne Sweet Tea.” 

 The new store will open its doors at  9:00 a.m., when the first 100 customers will receive a gift bag filled with a sampling of Aldi Fan Favorites products, as well as a gift card as part of the ALDI Golden Ticket gift card giveaway program. Shoppers will also have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 ALDI gift card, Aldi said. 

Looking to eliminate all plastic shopping bags from stores by the end of 2023, the discount grocer said shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags.

As more shoppers are trading down due to high food prices, Aldi is cutting prices on its top items ahead of the holiday season, the Batavia, Illinois-based retailer said Wednesday.