Prime Highlights:
- Aldi is opening over 180 new stores in the U.S. in 2026, continuing its fast growth.
- Its combination of low prices, convenience, and quality store-brand products is attracting more shoppers across incomes.
Key Facts:
- Aldi had 2,614 stores in the U.S. by December 31, 2025.
- Store visits increased over 50% from 2019 to 2024, outpacing many major competitors.
Background:
Aldi is growing in the U.S. and will open over 180 stores this year. The German company is known for low prices, small stores, and store-brand products, and it is competing with bigger supermarkets.
Aldi’s growth follows an already aggressive expansion over the past decade. The company, which opened its first U.S. store in Iowa in 1976, now ranks as the third-largest grocery chain in the country by store count, trailing only Walmart and Kroger. Last year, Aldi opened almost 200 stores, its biggest yearly growth so far, bringing the total in the U.S. to 2,614 by December 31, 2025.
The retailer is also relaunching its website and entering Maine, its 40th state. To support its growth, Aldi plans to build new distribution centers in Florida, Arizona, and Colorado over the next five years.
Industry experts say Aldi’s expansion reflects broader shifts in American grocery shopping. People of all incomes are turning to discount stores because they offer good-quality store brands at lower prices. A recent AlixPartners survey shows that people are spending less at regular supermarkets, especially younger and higher-income shoppers.
The store also has “Aldi Finds,” a rotating selection of limited-time items that makes shopping more interesting.
With low prices, convenience, and quality store brands, Aldi is becoming an important player in the U.S. grocery market.
