New ALDI Store Finding its Way in Baldwin Township

On a recent Sunday, the store in was bustling. Customers examined fresh pineapples stocked in cartons, while others decided on which ham to pick for Easter dinner.

The Sussex Avenue ALDI, just off of McNeilly Avenue, opened in November 2010 and is part of the company’s growing chain of discount stores across the United States.

Since its inception in Iowa in 1976, ALDI has exploded in recent years to include 1,000 stores in 29 states.

According to a company fact sheet, ALDI sells more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items in manageable, non-bulk packaging. Customers can find 90 percent of their average weekly shopping list there, ALDI says.

The company claims to save customers up to 50 percent off of their normal grocery bills, or about $4,000 a year for an average family. In today’s economy, that can be a lot, said Brent Laubaugh, vice president of ALDI’s Saxonburg division.

“Pittsburgh-area residents have had few reasonably priced options when it comes to grocery shopping,” Laubaugh said. “Our pricing is straightforward and remains low everyday.”

If you haven’t yet ventured into an ALDI store, there are some things that you should know about the shopping experience.

Unlike big-box stores–a typical Wal-Mart is 108,000 square feet–ALDI has 10,000 square feet of shopping space. The aisles are wide, and the store is well-lit. Items are displayed in cartons, and prices are displayed prominently with each item.

Shoppers “borrow” carts by depositing a quarter to retrieve one and are refunded when they return the carts to their corral.

Customers bring their own shopping bags (or they can purchase ALDI paper bags); although, it’s not uncommon for shoppers to snatch up empty cardboard boxes on shelves to carry out their canned goods. Shoppers bag their own groceries, too.

ALDI does not have a deli, a meat or seafood counter, or a bakery. There is no weighing of produce or measuring out amounts of bulk products.

While there aren’t fuel programs or volume discounts, there also isn’t a membership-only card to present.

All of these things have been created with the efficient shopper in mind–it’s a get in, get out kind of place–and they’re how ALDI can provide products at a much lower price than other grocery-store chains, Laubaugh said.

“We streamline every aspect of our operation in order to save our customers money,” he said. “Other grocery chains use promotional and marketing gimmicks to lure customers into their stores, but at the end of the shopping trip, bonus cards and fuel discounts don’t ever truly offset the high cost of the groceries in the cart.”

It’s a pretty simple formula: Less money spent on carrying other brands and slashing costs in other areas means cheaper groceries.

Some may balk at the idea of buying generic goods, but Laubaugh said that the products at ALDI actually aren’t generic at all; they’re brands made specifically for ALDI.

“Ninety-five percent of the products in our stores are ALDI select brands,” he said, “which means that we directly control the quality and packaging of nearly every item.”

While you can find everyday staples at ALDI, like baking items, paper products and pet food, ALDI offers specialty items, too. There are seasonal buys like Easter candy and potted flowers and the occasional name-brand product.

ALDI also has its own line of cosmetics and a healthy-foods line called Fit & Active.

The store may forgo non-essential services like a pharmacy and a bank, but “goodies” and other specialty items are showing up on its shelves. A four-ounce portion of goat cheese at ALDI costs $1.99; at a chain grocery store, the same portion will usually run you around $4.99. Hungry for some hummus? A container of it at ALDI is only $1.69. How about butter pecan ice cream? Just fork (or spoon) over $2.49.

In addition to existing Baldwin Township and nearby Bethel Park locations, ALDI will be adding a new store this summer near Century III Mall to serve residents of the Pleasant Hills and West Mifflin boroughs.

The Baldwin Township ALDI is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

So grab that spare quarter in the couch cushion and reuse your old plastic bags.

Perhaps ALDI is for you.