WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Aldi, the discount grocery chain, is stepping up its expansion in the U.S., planning to open over 180 new stores this year.
This move comes as many Americans, feeling the pinch from inflation, are choosing to eat at home more often and looking for ways to save on groceries. With ongoing economic uncertainty, people are cutting back on restaurant visits and opting for cheaper alternatives.
Based just outside Chicago, Aldi ramped up its store growth soon after inflation started to spike in 2021, hitting a record for new locations last year.
Even though food inflation has cooled a bit, grocery prices still increased by 2.4 percent last year, and they're about 25 percent higher than they were before the pandemic. The U.S. Labor Department also reported that grocery prices went up by 0.7 percent in December, and those price hikes have become more pronounced in early 2025 compared to the last couple of years.
Aldi has seen a boost as shoppers move away from name brands to private labels and shift from regular supermarkets to discount stores. This change started even before Trump's trade war but has really picked up lately, helping chains like Dollar General and Dollar Tree too.
Looking to the future, Aldi has plans to invest $9 billion in the U.S. through 2028. They're working on new distribution centers in Florida, Arizona, and Colorado, planning to add over 50 stores in Colorado over the next five years, and aiming to double their presence in Las Vegas by 2030.
By the end of the year, Aldi expects to have nearly 2,800 stores in the U.S., getting closer to their goal of 3,200 locations by 2028.
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