German discount grocer Aldi will expand its Southern California footprint this week with the opening of a new market in West Hills.
A grand opening and ribbon cutting for the store, at 22741 W. Victory Blvd., will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. It will join the more than 80 stores Aldi already operates throughout Southern California and more than 2,200 Aldi supermarkets nationwide.
The opening is part of the company’s plan to add 150 additional stores throughout the U.S.
A typical Aldi market includes about 12,000 square feet of retail space, making the stores easier to navigate than larger, traditional grocery stores. (SCNG file photo)
“Each Aldi store is strategically mapped to make finding products quick and easy,” said Tom Cindel, Aldi’s Moreno Valley group director of operations and logistics. “The new store in West Hills will employ approximately 15 Aldi employees when it opens this Thursday.”
With inflation rising, consumers will likely welcome the company’s expansion. The Consumer Price Index for July was unchanged, but it still showed an 8.5% year-over-year increase in overall prices, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“The food index increased 1.1 percent in July,” the report said. “This was the seventh consecutive monthly increase of 0.9% or more.”
Shoppers can save big at Aldi, according to Burt Flickinger III, managing director for the retail consulting firm Strategic Resource Group.
“A family of five in California could save $3,000 to $5,000 a year shopping at Aldi versus typical supermarkets,” Flickinger said in a 2021 interview. “And they could still save up to $1,500 a year compared to Target and Walmart supercenters.”
A typical Aldi market includes about 12,000 square feet of retail space, making the stores easier to navigate than larger, traditional grocery stores. Aldi offers a wide range of fresh foods and easy-to-prepare options, many of which are under the company’s private-label brands.
“Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we’ve been voted the price leader for five years running,” Cindel said.
Depositing a quarter to unlock a shopping cart is one way Aldi saves shoppers money. The retail chain doesn’t need to hire employees to corral loose carts, and customers get their quarter back when they return the cart.
Aldi has an increasingly strong presence throughout Southern California, with stores in Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, Lancaster, Burbank, Long Beach, Torrance, Whittier, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Riverside, Buena Park and Santa Ana, among other locations.
The first 100 shoppers at Thursday’s grand opening in West Hills will receive a gift bag filled with a sampling of Aldi products and a gift card as part of the Aldi Golden Ticket gift card giveaway program.
Shoppers can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 Aldi gift card.