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Aldi to expand presence in New York’s Long Island

Two new stores to open by midyear as rival Lidl enlarges L.I. footprint

Russell Redman

February 13, 2020

4 Min Read
Aldi store in St. Charles, Ill.
Including the two upcoming stores, Aldi will have eight stores on Long Island, along with seven in New York City.Photo by Russell Redman

Aldi plans to open two new stores this year in Long Island, a key suburban market in the lucrative metropolitan New York area.

Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi U.S. said Thursday that stores will be added in Valley Stream and North Babylon, N.Y. The hard discount grocer noted that the Valley Stream store, located at 750 Sunrise Hwy. and due to open Feb. 27, will be its first location in Nassau County. The North Babylon store is expected to open this summer, and the company said the address and opening date will be announced in the coming months.

Both of the new stores will have about 12,000 square feet of retail space, as in typical Aldi locations. Currently, Aldi operates six stores in eastern Long Island’s Suffolk County: Bay Shore, Lake Grove, Lindenhurst, Patchogue, Riverhead and Selden.

Nassau County borders the New York City borough of Queens, where Aldi has a store in Rego Park. The chain also has six other New York City locations, with two stores apiece in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan.

Including the upcoming Valley Stream and North Babylon locations, Aldi will have 15 stores in New York City and Long Island. The company said the two planned stores will mark its first new Long Island locations since 2016. Aldi opened its first Long Island store, in Bay Shore, in 2011.

Related:Aldi says research shows its stores are simpler to shop

“The goal of our expansion nationally and locally is to reach new shoppers, and we are growing on Long Island because people want Aldi in their communities,” Bruce Persohn, South Windsor division vice president at Aldi, said in a statement. “We’ve been operating on Long Island and in New York City for nearly 10 years and have been very successful, which is why we’re opening new stores, including our first store in Nassau County.”

Aldi’s Long Island expansion comes as rival Germany-based discount grocer Lidl accelerates its growth in the region.

In December, Lidl opened four Long Island stores, including one in Nassau County (Plainview) and three in Suffolk County (Huntington Station, West Babylon and Center Moriches). Another four stores are expected to open by the summer, including in East Meadow (Nassau County) and in Lake Grove, Oakdale and Patchogue (Suffolk County).

Arlington, Va.-based Lidl US signaled its Long Island market entry with the acquisition of Best Market, announced in November 2018 and finalized in early 2019. Of the 27 Best Markets acquired, 24 are on Long Island. One of those locations, a small store in Hicksville (Nassau County), was closed in September. Lidl also is slated to close a Best Market in Holmdel, N.J., this month. The other two acquired Best Market stores are in New York City (Astoria and Harlem).

Related:Against Aldi and Lidl, personalization is the smart move

The Long Island locations opened thus far by Lidl include new stores and converted Best Market stores. A Lidl US spokesman said in December that the company could envision having more than 50 stores in Long Island.

Industry observers, however, have said Aldi already has accounted for Lidl’s growth in current and new market areas through its own rapid expansion.

Aldi is more than halfway into a $5.3 billion, five-year program that will enlarge its U.S. store base by almost 50% and upgrade most of its locations. All of the Long Island stores already have been remodeled. Overall, the chain now operates over 1,900 stores in 36 states, and it aims to grow to 2,500 stores by the end of 2022.

In tandem with that initiative is a major product expansion in which 20% of items in every store will be new versus a year ago. Focusing on fresh, organic and easy-to-prepare offerings, the new-product push will boost the selection of fresh food by 40%.

What’s more, Aldi notes that its retail model — low prices, high-quality private brands and easy-to-shop stores (just five aisles) — remains attractive to consumers. A survey by retail specialist Kantar found that 77% of adults consider Aldi “simpler to shop” compared with other grocery stores.

“Aldi customers trust us to offer an easy, enjoyable grocery shopping experience with the high-quality food and products they need at the lowest prices, and that’s why they love shopping with us,” Persohn added. “No matter what, we won’t be beat on price.”

Through its national partnership with Instacart, Aldi also offers online grocery delivery in more than 10,000 ZIP codes, covering 95% of its stores.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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