FROM STAFF REPORTS

NORTH SHELBY – Beginning Wednesday, Dec. 20, ALDI, one of America’s favorite grocery stores, will offer residents a fresh experience as it opens its newest Birmingham store, located at 4639 U.S. 280.

The Birmingham store is part of the aggressive $3.4 billion investment plan ALDI recently announced to expand to 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022. ALDI currently has more than 1,600 stores in 35 states, serving more than 40 million customers each month.

To celebrate the opening of the new Birmingham store, ALDI will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20. The public is invited to attend.

Following the ceremony, the first 100 customers will receive a golden ticket, each containing ALDI gift cards of various amounts. Customers can also tour the store, sample ALDI exclusive brand products and enter an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win a year’s supply of ALDI produce. ALDI offers a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including several organic produce items.

“We have our own style when it comes to grocery shopping, and we’re pleased to welcome customers in Birmingham to experience exactly what sets ALDI apart from competitors, and how it’s made us one of the fastest growing retailers in the U.S.,” said Troy Marshall, Mt. Juliet division vice president for ALDI. “We recognize that customers want high-quality, reasonably-priced groceries, and we invite them to come see what Simply Smarter Shopping is all about.”

Thanks to input from customers, the Birmingham store presents a new look, offering a modern and convenient shopping experience. Customers will notice a focus on fresh items, including more robust produce, dairy and bakery sections and more room for customers’ favorite products. ALDI stores will also feature a modern design, open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally–friendly building materials, such as recycled materials, energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting.

ALDI is proud to offer a wide range of premium groceries at prices up to 50 percent less than the competitors. In the last few years, ALDI has added a number of new product lines that have quickly become customer favorites including a growing organic selection, USDA Choice meats, the liveGfree gluten-free product line, the SimplyNature line of products free from over 125 artificial ingredients and preservatives and the Never Any! line of meats free from antibiotics, added hormones and animal by-products. To better serve customers and their growing families, ALDI now carries a full line of baby products, Little Journey, which offers customers award-winning diapers, wipes, training pants, formula, organic food and snacks.

All ALDI exclusive brand food products are free of added MSG, certified synthetic colors and partially hydrogenated oils, and since more than 90 percent of the products available are under ALDI exclusive brands, shoppers can feel good about the food they buy at ALDI. Plus, ALDI ensures its exclusive brands meet or exceed the national brands on taste and quality by conducting rigorous testing on all products. ALDI stands behind this quality with a Double Guarantee: If for any reason a customer doesn’t like an ALDI exclusive brand food, ALDI will give them their money back and replace the product.

In addition, ALDI continues to provide ALDI Finds: premium food and household products that are only in stores for a limited time. ALDI Finds vary week to week and themes usually match the season. Information can be found on aldi.us and in weekly ALDI ads.

ALDI saves customers money by cutting overhead costs through smart practices, such as an innovative cart system: ALDI shoppers insert a quarter to release a cart from the corral and receive the quarter back upon the cart’s return. Other cost-saving practices include a smaller store footprint, open carton displays and encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags. ALDI also saves shoppers money by keeping stores open during prime shopping times. The new Birmingham location will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. All ALDI stores nationwide accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

As part of its accelerated growth and expansion across the U.S., ALDI plans to add 25,000 new jobs in stores, warehouses and offices. ALDI was recently named to Forbes’ list of America’s Best Large Employers and offers employees generous wages and benefits that are higher than the national average for the retail industry. ALDI staff working at least 25 hours per week receive full health insurance benefits and dental coverage, and all ALDI employees are invited to participate in the 401(k) program.