A German discount supermarket chain is planning a May store opening in Vista as part of its push to operate 45 stores in the state of California by the end of the year.
ALDI plans a grand opening of seven stores on Thursday, May 19 including one at 1750 University Drive in Vista.
It’s the first store in San Diego County for the grocery store chain. Last week ALDI opened 10 Southern California stores, mostly in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
The stores are usually smaller than most grocers and focus on selling the most frequently purchased grocery and household items.
"We have our own products," Jim Taylor, director of store operations told NBCLA. "Ninety percent of them are manufactured for us in our own exclusive brand format."
First-time ALDI customers might notice a few differences than other grocery stores.
For example, shoppers bag what they buy. Also, shopping carts come with a 25-cent rental fee. Shoppers get the money back after returning the cart.
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The first 100 shoppers to arrive at the Vista store on May 19 will get a voucher for an ALDI gift certificate of various amounts. All shoppers will be able to enter for a chance to win free Produce for a Year. There will also be complimentary ALDI reusable eco-bags handed out May 19-22.
The grocer has more than 1,500 stores in 33 states and serves 30 million customers each month, according to a company news release.
The retailer is expanding, planning to have more than 2,000 stores open nationwide by the end of 2018.
