ALDI celebrates grand opening in LaPlace
Published 9:03 am Thursday, October 20, 2022
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LAPLACE — ALDI LaPlace celebrated its grand opening Thursday morning at 1910 W. Airline Highway, introducing locals to a lower-cost shopping experience.
Beginning at 9 a.m., the first 100 customers will receive a gift card as part of the ALDI Golden Ticket giveaway program. Four lucky people will receive a $100 gift card, and shoppers will have an opportunity to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 ALDI gift card. Giveaways will also include reusable shopping bags and other ALDI Fan Favorite items.
LaPlace residents had a first look inside the store during Wednesday’s soft opening. The LaPlace store is the latest installment of a major Gulf Coast expansion project, joining 2,200 existing stores across the United States.
According to Heather Moore, ALDI Loxley Division vice president, the first ALDI in Louisiana opened this past February in Lafayette. The second Lafayette location will open on November 10. Additional store openings planned for the remainder of 2022 include locations in Metairie and Covington, both currently under construction.
The first thing customers will notice is that ALDI is smaller than most grocery stores – only about 12,000 square feet.
Moore said all of ALDI’s unique features are designed to keep prices low. A smaller footprint cuts down on utility costs to avoid passing expenses onto the customer.
“It’s great because, instead of spending an hour walking around the store, you can be in and out in 15 minutes and know you’re saving money,” Moore said.
Upon entering the store, customers put in a quarter as a deposit to use a shopping cart and receive the quarter back once the cart is returned. Another ALDI difference is that shopping bags are not provided and therefore are not embedded in the costs of the products. Customers have the option of purchasing reusable bags or bringing their own bags. Moore said some customers even bring laundry baskets to store their groceries.
ALDI carries only 1,650 items, about 90% of which is comprised of ALDI-exclusive brands. While the store still carries the staples American consumers have come to expect such as Coca-Cola, Chips Ahoy and Tide, customers have the option of choosing ALDI-exclusives that offer the same quality at a lower cost.
“We are very purposeful in what we carry. These are the highest quality products that have won a ton of awards, and we back that all up with our twice as nice guarantee,” Moore said. “If you buy something and don’t like it, we are going to replace your money and give you a replacement product for free because we know how good our product is.”
ALDI carries approximately 140 produce items and receives fresh produce daily. This includes a nice range of organic product without the usual organic price tag. The store also has a robust selection of fresh meats and cheeses perfect for Pinterest-worthy charcuterie spreads.
A vast selection of wine includes the popular Winking Owl brand, priced as low as $3.45 per bottle.
While most of the 2,200 stores in the United States carry the same range of products, Moore said food items specific to the Gulf Coast are dispersed throughout the store, including Louisiana favorites like Zatarain’s, Zapp’s potato chips and Savoie’s sausage.
Bruce Pleasant of LaPlace, one of the shoppers who visited the store during the soft opening, said families in the River Parishes have different tastes compared to people only an hour away in Slidell. He was pleased to find food products he wouldn’t expect to see at other local grocery stores.
“My first impression is that there are quite a few items that you can’t get at other stores in the area. The prices are reasonable. I actually am impressed, and I see quite a few things that I will buy,” Pleasant said.
While Pleasant has never been to an ALDI before, he said his wife was familiar with the brand from visiting their daughter in Atlanta.
“It’s clean, and there’s a pretty good inventory,” he said. “I think they’ll do pretty good.”
The two center aisles of the store are reserved for “ALDI Finds” that change each Wednesday. From kitchenware to holiday decor, these limited-time items are often seasonally relevant and add a spice of variety to ALDI’s usual line-up.
The LaPlace store will offer delivery and no-charge curbside pick-up beginning in two weeks. Customers can order groceries on the ALDI app and also view weekly ads.
ALDI LaPlace is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.aldi.us/en/about-aldi/grand-openings/laplace-la/
