180 New Aldi Grocery Stores Are Opening This Year—Everything We Know So Far
With groceries getting more expensive every day, it can be a huge help to have a store like Aldi nearby. The retailer has begun to gain its own legion of die-hard fans, thanks to its affordable prices and popular in-house products. But if you’ve been missing a location near you, things might be about to change. That’s because Aldi has just announced it will be opening nearly 200 new stores this year.
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Aldi is expanding in specific areas in 2026.
In a Jan. 12 press release, Aldi said it was hitting the gas on its U.S. expansion plans. The company says it will cut the ribbon on 180 new locations before the end of 2026, bringing the chain to a total of 2,800 stores nationwide.
While an exact list of new stores wasn’t specified, the company did outline a few notable regions they’d be focusing on. They include Maine, marking its first location in the state; Colorado, with plans to open more than 50 stores there by 2028; Phoenix, which will see 10 new stores this year; and Las Vegas.
The chain also said it would continue expansion in the Southeast following its acquisition of Southeastern Grocers two years ago, citing plans to convert more than 200 locations to Aldi stores by the end of next year.
Aldi also said it planned to grow beyond this year, aiming to bring its total domestic store count to more than 3,200 by the end of 2028.
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Aldi is also improving online shopping.
If you’ve grown accustomed to grabbing groceries online, you might soon have an easier time shopping at Aldi from home.
Along with its expansion plans, the grocer announced that it would overhaul its website early this year, saying the updated version will include “tailored product recommendations for easy re-ordering, expanded nutritional information, shoppable recipes, and built-in tools to support shoppers in meal planning for their weekly shop.”
In the press release, the company also said it would enhance curbside pickup and delivery ordering on its website by adding personalized product recommendations and suggesting trending products to online shoppers.
All orders placed through its site would be fulfilled by Aldi associates who know the stores and their products, making the process more efficient overall. However, it will also be expanding its partnerships with third-party grocery delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Instacart, and DoorDash.
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Aldi is becoming more popular due to economic woes.
The latest expansion comes as shoppers feel an increased pinch when it comes time to pay at checkout counters. Inflation has sent grocery prices soaring to 30 percent above pre-pandemic levels, with figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that food prices rose 2.4 percent year-on-year last month, per The Washington Post.
As a result, many shoppers have begun to turn to stores like Aldi, where they can save on essentials and help stay within their budgets.
“Aldi’s business model is basically engineered for this moment in time,” Chad Lusk, managing director for the consumer and retail group at global consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal’s consumer and retail group, told The Post.
Part of the chain’s success has been its ability to keep its in-house brand prices much lower than average, even as other competitors continue to increase theirs.
In a comparison with a local Safeway store in Falls Church, Virginia, a three-pack of heavy-duty sponges costs roughly $2 at Aldi versus about $4.50. Meanwhile, a six-pack of double-ply paper towels at Aldi costs just over $6, compared to nearly $15 at Safeway, per The Post.