Jim Fair
The entrance into ALDI will be from Mt. Vernon Road, near a traffic light at Wade Hampton Blvd. and W. Poinsett Street.
ALDI Photo
The grocery store includes nearly 70 varieties of fresh produce and a selection of organic items.
ALDI Photo
ALDI's new stores have higher ceilings, better lighting and environmentally friendly building materials such as energy-saving refrigeration and light bulbs.
Jim Fair: The main entry into the property will be from Mt. Vernon Road, while ALDI will face Wade Hampton Blvd. Why is a side entrance and a traffic signal at the store’s entrance part of its selection philosophy? What goes into site selection for ALDI in a community?
Thom Behtz: We want to be conveniently based where shoppers are located. ALDI chooses locations based on population density, proximity to competition, cost of the property and traffic patterns, and we often locate in existing retail communities. For this particular site, the entrance points are dictated by the local authority that governs the particular road, not ALDI.
JF: Is there a prototypical ALDI store model?
TB: ALDI presents a simple, easy-to-navigate shopping experience for our customers. Our new stores have higher ceilings, better lighting and environmentally friendly building materials such as energy-saving refrigeration and light bulbs. ALDI stores also have a consistent store layout with four to five aisles (compared to more than 30 at other grocers); approximately 10,000 square feet of retail space per store; spacious checkouts; uncluttered, 8-feet wide aisles; and pricing prominently displayed. Additionally, the layout includes open carton displays for a simple approach to retailing. It’s our goal to ensure that our stores offer a great shopping experience for our customers.
JF: Including any additional site prep, what is the projected tentative opening for ALDI?
TB: The Greer, SC ALDI store location is expected to open this fall.
JF: Can we expect more ALDI locations in the Greenville/Greer/Spartanburg corridor?
TB: ALDI store locations are expected to open in Boiling Springs, SC and Greenville, SC in the second half of 2015.
JF: According to ALDI.com, ALDI sells about 5 percent the number of items available in typical U.S. grocery stores. How does that continue to evolve with the shopping public? Can you help explain the enormity of ALDI’s quantity purchasing from manufacturers?
TB: ALDI has been operating in the US for nearly 40 years, and as our customers’ needs have evolved, so have we. At ALDI, we believe that great quality shouldn’t come at a high price; rather, great quality should come with everyday low prices. ALDI realizes tremendous operating cost savings and efficiencies that are passed directly to our customers via our everyday low prices, including volume purchasing. We focus on stocking approximately 1,300 of the most commonly purchased grocery items, compared to an average of more than 44,000 at a traditional supermarket, so customers can find the majority of their average grocery list in our stores – including nearly 70 varieties of fresh produce, an array of organic items and USDA Choice fresh beef.