Retail Watchers

mbz321 wrote:

pseudo3d wrote: But I wouldn't count on the vacant space...Aldi tends to ALWAYS build new buildings, and the one example that they didn't build a new structure they did extensive interior work on it that only the columns survived (they tore out the flooring completely, I remember peeking in and six inches of the concrete foundation had been removed to dirt).

Maybe in other regions they always build new, but in the Northeast, I've seen them take over (or partially take over) smaller former grocery stores smack in the middle of shopping centers, a former Eckerd/Rite Aid or two, and a whole bunch of Bottom Dollar Food stores when they bought them out a few years ago (pretty much gutting them too, despite only operating a few years as Bottom Dollar), but still stores that were older and mostly in strip centers.

That is true - in fact one of the older Aldi's here locally is in what was once an A&P built into a strip center (and this is an area where A&P closed most of their stores way back in the 1980's rounds of closures).
On the other hand, the most recently opened ones are newly built buildings, but I don't know if that is just because they didn't want to use an existing site, or if there simply was no such existing building available in the areas they were looking at.

The Phoenix Business Journal (behind a paywall, sorry folks) reported today that Aldi will open two stores in Metro Phoenix in November and an additional two in December. The addresses are:

NOVEMBER:

• Chandler: 2844 S. Alma School Road

• Peoria: 24665 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway

DECEMBER:

• Goodyear: 845 N. Estrella Parkway

• Gilbert: 1801 Pecos Road

The article goes on to say an additional ten stores are planned over the next few years, but no locations were provided.

I hope at least one of the stores is close to Central Phoenix. While I'm not a price-sensitive shopper, I think shopping at Aldi is fun. (Well, grocery shopping in general is fun. )