Aldi takes on Target, Walmart in Florida

German discount grocer Aldi continues its rapid U.S. expansion on Thursday, Oct. 17, with plans to open four new stores, one of which is sandwiched between a Target and a Walmart Supercenter. 

The newly built Aldi in Lecanto, Fla., near the intersection of W. Norvell Bryant Hwy and N. Lecanto Hwy is in the same parking lot as the newly built Target. The Walmart Supercenter is on the south side of W. Norvell Bryant Hwy.

The new store is also two miles south of a Winn-Dixie, located at 3565 N. Lecanto Hwy in nearby Beverly Hills, Fla., which was acquired by Aldi in early 2024 from Southeastern Grocers. 

The Lecanto Aldi is the discount grocer’s first store in the city and opens the same day as stores in San Diego, Calif., at 9340 Mira Mesa Blvd.; Florissant, Mo., at 240 Howdershell Rd.; and Monroe, Conn., at 205 Monroe Turnpike. 

The new store in Lecanto sets the stage for a Thanksgiving faceoff between Aldi, Target, and Walmart, with Aldi throwing down the gauntlet on price in a press release on Wednesday, announcing its offering its lowest-priced Thanksgiving basket since 2019. 

The discount grocery chain announced that it is lowering prices to make Thanksgiving available for 10 people for under $47. 

That includes a Butterball turkey with spices, gravy, rolls, mac and cheese, stuffing, and all the ingredients needed for cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. 

Aldi CEO Jason Hart said in the press release that a quarter of U.S. households now shop at Aldi, and “we know grocery prices are still top of mind for customers.” 

The grocer said that it continues to push forward with its plan to open 800 stores by the end of 2028.  

That ambitious expansion plan includes the purchase of some 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores, primarily located in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, through its acquisition of Southeastern Grocers. 

It’s still uncertain how many of those stores will be rebranded under the Aldi banner, but those conversions have already begun. In early August, Supermarket News reported that a Winn-Dixie in Lakeland, Fla., closed down so the discount grocer could remodel and reopen as an Aldi.

Hart said in August 2023 that Aldi plans to convert a “significant” number of the stores over the next few years, but he did not give a firm number. He added that a “meaningful” number of Harveys and Winn-Dixie stores will remain under their existing banners. 

“Aldi has a strong track record of opening and remodeling stores across the country each year, so we’re confident we can make this a smooth transition,” Hart said in 2023. “In the early days, there won’t be any immediate changes and Aldi will remain focused on doing what we do best: delivering great products at the lowest possible prices,”