The excitement began building several weeks ago. The store front was finished, the lines in the parking lot repainted, the shelves were stocked and, on July 11, Aldi, the town’s newest grocery store, held a grand opening. Before the doors opened, a line of well over a hundred customers stretched past Walgreens. The first two hundred were given a large brightly colored Aldi shopping bag filled with groceries and a gift card.
Attendees from the Acton Town government included Patricia Costa, Acton’s economic development director, Patricia Sutherland, chair of the Economic Development Committee (EDC), Alissa Nicol, chair of the Select Board, David Martin, vice chair of the Select Board, and Greg Jarboe, vice chair of the Finance Committee. The ceremonial ribbon was cut by the store manager Richie Engebretson and two district managers.
Chris Daniels, the Aldi regional vice president, gave a tour of the store starting outside at the shopping carts. Each cart is locked and to release it the customer inserts a quarter into a slot on the cart handle. After shopping and unloading the cart, the customer returns the cart to the rack and gets their quarter back. This eliminates the need for employees to go chasing after carts in the parking lot. It is a way of reducing labor costs and indicative of how Aldi operates. By keeping its cost low, Daniels says Aldi can save a family of four $4000 a year. He continues, “As shoppers look to stretch their dollar further, we’re excited to open this new location and bring more people a high-quality grocery selection they want and need at the lowest possible price.”
Aldi stores are smaller than typical grocery stores and cost less to heat and cool. They carry about 2500 products where other grocery stores might carry 50,000. Products come in open cardboard containers called custom stocking boxes that are much easier and quicker to stock, saving time and money. Typical grocery stores can offer up to thirty brands of ketchup while Aldi offers two. Aldi’s suppliers print extra-large bar codes on several sides of their products so that time at the register is quicker (and it makes self-check-out less frustrating).
The “Aldi Finds” aisle is unique. Daniels says: “Every week we get 100 random items…it’s only a one-time-buy, one-time-sell. On social media, we have Facebook groups that we don’t control. They call it the Aisle of Shame, and we were like, why would they call it that? I don’t understand it. It’s because they felt shameful because every time they come down the aisle they have to buy something.”
With several grocery stores in the area Daniels was asked how Aldi will compete. He said, “We understand that people are going to have their options, but we are excited that we’re going to offer something unique here in Acton.” Aldi plans to open 180 stores in the U.S. this year, with 11 of those in the northeast.
A smiling Sudbury woman who left the store with a full shopping bag planned to return later in the day with her son to spend her $100 gift card. “It’s nice to see a new store open up, you know.”
Aldi. 100 Powdermill Road. Everyday 9am to 8pm. 855-955-2534. Info.aldi.us.
Jeff Brown is the Acton Exchange business beat reporter.
