Aldi grocery store to open June 23 in Niceville
NICEVILLE — The grand-opening ceremony for the new Aldi discount grocery store is set for 9 a.m. June 23.
The 20,442-square-foot store stands at 1030 John Sims Parkway E., between Wendy's and Jim ‘N Nick’s barbecue restaurant. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
The first 100 customers to the new Aldi on opening day will receive a gift bag containing an Aldi gift card and a sampling of the grocery chain’s “Fan Favorites” products. Shoppers also will have the chance to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 Aldi gift card.
“Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we’ve been voted the price leader for five years running,” Heather Moore, division vice president for Aldi, said in a news release. “We offer easy access to affordable fresh food and household essentials, as well as a great selection of regional items.”
Aldi is a German family-owned discount supermarket chain that’s known by many customers for its fresh organic produce and low-priced meats.
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First-time customers of Aldi might be a little startled by having to bag their own groceries and by the store’s policy to charge a 25-cent deposit to use one of its shopping carts.
The deposit “ultimately saves our customers money because we don’t have to hire extra staff to collect grocery carts,” Aldi officials said on the company’s website. “To unlock a cart, customers have to insert a quarter, and this deposit ensures shoppers return their cart to the corral to get their quarter back.”
In both an “operational savings” and environmentally conscious move, store officials also note on the website that while customers do not need to bring their own bags to shop at Aldi, they’re asked to bring their own reusable grocery bags or buy at least one reusable Aldi bag at checkout. Plastic and paper bags are available for a fee.
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The first Aldi in Northwest Florida opened in March in Navarre. The new store in Niceville is part of the company’s aggressive nationwide growth in recent years that includes the opening of 150 new stores this year, according to Aldi information.
About 20 of the new stores will be in Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and Louisiana.
“Our new Gulf Coast locations will carry local favorites such as Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, Crystal’s Hot Sauce, Blue Plate Mayonnaise, Blue Bell Ice Cream and Luzianne Sweet Tea,” Moore said.
With 2,200 stores across 38 states, Aldi is on track to become the third-largest grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022, according to company information. The top two spots are held by Walmart and Kroger, according to CNN.
Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tricia Brunson said the chamber is always excited to see new businesses come into town.
“We look forward to welcoming Aldi to the mix for local shoppers,” Brunson said. “I’ve have heard from many of our residents and everyone is excitedly awaiting their grand opening next week.”
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: The new Aldi grocery store in Niceville will have its grand opening on June 23
