New stores, greener policies, and even
more savings. Hold onto your hats, bargain hunters — because big things
are happening for Aldi in 2024. German discount supermarket chain Aldi has been
quietly lurking in the U.S. for quite some time now, even if it only earnestly set out on its
American conquest back in 2013. Now boasting over 2,000 stores across the nation, this bargain
hunter's paradise is looking to the future. Aldi has big plans for 2024. Customers are
already seeing the results of some of these, with plastic bags being successfully eliminated
from all U.S. stores in a major environmental change for the chain; new locations have also
opened in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and Visalia, California. By the end of 2024, shoppers
could be looking at a bigger and better Aldi. The "Grand Openings" section of the Aldi website
shows that it has 12 stores set to open their doors just within the first few months of the
year. The spread also seems to be pretty even, with new locations scattered across the
country: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, and Ohio are
all due to receive new stores. This is a fairly big deal for some of these locations,
particularly for places like Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana, all of which have fewer
than 15 stores across their entire state. In addition to the 12 stores Aldi plans to open
in 2024, the chain's acquisition of Southeastern Grocers is also set to be completed this year.
CEO Jason Hart told Supermarket News that, while acquired Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores
would continue to operate under their own brands for a time, the long-term plan is to convert
them to the "Aldi format" over the coming years. This means that, even if the remodels and
conversions don't happen immediately, Aldi will be gaining a significant boost in revenue
from 400 new locations. It's also likely that, since Aldi has a market gap in the Southeast,
two valuable opportunities will occur. First, market research: By analyzing the customer habits
of southeastern Harveys and Winn-Dixie locations, Aldi can figure out how best to bring its stores
to that market. Second, actually bringing Aldi to the southeastern market, either by converting
existing locations or by opening new ones. "They're obviously a little bit limited at Aldi, so maybe taking over Winn-Dixie is
gonna help them expand what they offer." It's worth noting that Aldi has been considered
one of the greenest grocery stores in America, a rep they would clearly like to keep. Back
in 2022, Aldi announced that it was committing to the removal of plastic bags from all of its
stores. And now it looks like Aldi is clamping down on plastic usage within its own supply chain,
with Hart writing in a letter to Aldi customers that 62% of its own-brand packaging was classed as
reusable, recyclable, or compostable. In addition, Aldi managed to hit a sustainability target
early that was originally set for 2030: successfully cutting food waste by 57%. As a
result, Aldi has increased its 2030 target to 90%. Meanwhile, Aldi has announced in a nutrition
report that it would be increasing the number of plant-based products it sells to 1,000 by the end
of 2024. The chain is implementing this change in two ways: firstly, by reducing animal products in
items where they only show up in small quantities, and secondly, by introducing more new items
to its vegan range. This move by Aldi isn't just socially and environmentally conscious,
either — it's also business savvy. Since 2020, plant-based products have seen a steady
rise in popularity in the U.S. market, which will likely continue into 2030 and beyond. The coming year may hold some interesting
developments in store for Aldi, particularly where growth in the U.S. supermarket sphere
is concerned. But it's clear the chain has no intention of stopping there. Sustainability
certainly appears to be top of the agenda, with Aldi committing to switching entirely
to natural refrigerants by 2035, the first supermarket chain to make this type of claim. In
a press release focused on sustainability pledges, Aldi claimed that the move will save 60% of
carbon emissions per year once it is complete. This change will begin to take place in 2024,
coinciding with the opportunity presented by the opening and remodeling of new stores.
In fact, Aldi states that it will begin by purchasing environmentally friendly refrigerating
agents for its new and remodeled stores before replacing the agents in established locations.
Speaking about the initiative, Hart stated that the new units would help the chain protect the
environment and reduce costs at the same time.