ALDI Grocery Chain Aims Higher, Plans To Offer More Ready-To-Eat, Upscale Foods
CHICAGO (CBS)--Value grocery chain ALDI is revitalizing its image to be more in line with upper-scale stores like Trader Joe's and Mariano's.
The German grocery retailer announced Thursday plans to freshen up the inventory in its 1,800 U.S. stores by replacing 20 percent of items on the shelves with new foods geared toward organic, easy-to-prepare options like organic meat, fresh fruits and vegetables and meatless frozen items. The chain, known for its ultra-cheap prices, is also increasing its selection of fresh produce by 40 percent.
ALDI says the makeover is part of a $5 billion investment to modernize its existing stores and expand its fleet of grocery stores to 2,500 locations nationwide.
About half of all ALDI stores have already undergone renovations, which include more space for fresh and ready-to-eat foods, the company said in a press release.
"The continued success of our store expansion and remodel initiatives has given us the opportunity to carefully select and introduce new products that satisfy our customers' increasing preferences for fresh items, including organic meats, salad bowls, sliced fruits and gourmet cheeses," said Jason Hart, CEO of
ALDI U.S., in a statement.
The changes are slated to take effect throughout U.S. stores by the end of next year, the company says.
Some of the new items ALDI plans to add to its shelves include:
- single-serve guacamole and hummus
- freshly-made organic salsa, antipasta salad, gourmet olives and calzones
- Kombucha
- quinoa bowls
- milk-alternatives like soy, almond and coconut milk
- kale-and-quinoa crunch burgers
