News in brief
Aldi: 20% of products in every ALDI store will be new
The company - which told Business Insider this week that it is expanding its online grocery services with Instacart and preparing to launch curbside pickup - is investing $5bn to remodel and expand its store count to 2,500 by the end of 2022, with the new store layouts increasing additional refrigeration space to accommodate an expanded fresh, healthy and convenient products.
“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.
“We know people lead busy lives, so we're making it even easier for them to purchase everything on their shopping list at Aldi, while still saving money.”
New products
The retailer highlighted new products for each of its key areas: Fresh and healthy; convenient; and must-haves.
For fresh and healthy, there will be more ready-to-cook and organic fresh meats, an expanded produce selection, including veggie noodles and ready-to-eat sliced fruits, and an expanded Earth Grown line with new vegan and vegetarian options.
For convenience, the expanded refrigeration space will offer convenient grab-and-go products, including single-serve guacamole and organic hummus, plus fresh fruit and vegetable snack packs. There will also be more drinks and refrigerated beverage options, including strawberry kefir and kombucha, while more easy-to-prepare meal starters, like quinoa bowls, and premium pasta sauces will also be available.
For the must-have items, Aldi will offer more baked goods, and extend their private-label milk alternatives range.
Consumers are tired of cavernous stores with “90 different jars of pasta sauce,” says Tom Cindel, director of operations at ALDI’s Moreno Valley, CA, division, pointing to a shelf at the recently opened store in Monrovia, CA. “We just buy this one, it’s the same quality or superior to any leading national brand, and we buy a heck of a lot of it.”
