ALDI To Open In Decatur On Feb. 1

DECATUR, GA — A new ALDI grocery store will be opening in Decatur on Thursday, Feb. 1.

The latest location of the Chicago-based discount grocery chain will be located at the Decatur Crossing shopping center and, according to the company, will be the most environmentally friendly grocery store in the state.

A ribbon-cutting has been set for 8:25 a.m. on Feb. 1 and the public is invited to attend. The first 100 customers to enter the store will receive a "golden ticket" containing ALDI gift cards of varying amounts.

Customers will be able to tour the store, sample ALDI products and enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a year's supply of ALDI produce.

According to ALDI, the store, at 1669 Scott Blvd., will be its first in Georgia to have rooftop solar panels and an environmentally sustainable refrigeration system. The store was built with environmentally friendly materials, including recycled materials, and features LED lighting.

Over the next 20 years, the features are expected to conserve 2,609 metric tons of CO2 emissions — the equivalent of keeping 559 cars off the road for a year, ALDI said.

The new Decatur store is part of an aggressive building phase for ALDI, which recently announced it would be expanding to 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022 — up from its current roster of about 1,600 stores in 35 states.

The company says its new locations will feature more fresh items, including more robust produce, dairy and bakery sections and more room for customers’ favorite products.

"We value our customers in Decatur, and we’re excited to open our new Decatur store to continue offering high-quality groceries at prices they love," said Thom Behtz, Jefferson division vice president for ALDI. "We’re proud to offer shoppers a variety of fresh produce, USDA Choice meats, organic items and gluten-free choices, all at affordable prices that our competitors can’t match, in an environment that’s easy and quick to navigate."

ALDI also recently announced a partnership with Instacart, the technology-driven, nationwide on-demand grocery delivery service. The pilot program from ALDI will allow shoppers to order groceries for delivery in as little as one hour. The service is currently being offered in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles, including the Decatur store, and may expand in the future.

The privately held, family-owned business was founded in Germany in 1946.

Photo courtesy ALDI