Shoppers at the Aldi grocery store in Sterling will soon see some work being done around the store. They are expanding into a neighboring space to add aisles and create more shopping floorspace. They are also working on enlarging the sign hanging over the door.
The discount supermarket is located in the retail plaza that’s technically called the Aldi Center.
Besides the grocery store, there is also the Pure Hockey store, an AutoZone, a Chipotle, the new Quickway Japanese Hibachi restaurant and other shops. It’s located just off Route 7 at Palisade Parkway.
According to plans reviewed by The Burn, the store will be tearing down the wall separating it from the 3,100+ s.f. space to the right and adding that to the Aldi footprint.
They are also seeking approval to mount a larger sign over the doorway. (If you haven’t heard, Loudoun County has strict rules about commercial sign sizes.)
We spoke with a manager at the store who said they expect to stay open during the construction work. No official word when the work will start, but early 2022 is looking likely.
There are now four Aldi stores in Loudoun County. Besides the Sterling-Route 7 location, there are Aldi stores in Ashburn, Leesburg and off of 606 north of Highway 50 near South Riding.
Aldi is so cheap because of its limited size, selection, and service. Lidl has nicer stuff in more variety and is still cheaper than Safeway or Giant (Walmart isn’t cheaper enough for how bad its store brands are). I currently do all my grocery shopping at Aldi, but if Aldi is going to upsize and move upmarket even a little bit, I have no reason to shop there, I will go to Lidl or Giant every single time. People trade customer service, a full bakery, the availability of more backstock than can be immediately sold, and consistent selection (sometimes random basics like instant mashed potatoes aren’t available) for prices 40-50% lower. Aldi is effectively a JIT grocery store. Right now it’s stupid not to shop at Aldi, but if they’re only 10-20% cheaper than Lidl, all of a sudden you’re approaching the value of the services a full grocery store offers and Aldi loses its only reason to exist.
Comments are closed.