Aldi opens new locations in La Verne and San Bernardino Kurtis Park, left, Aldi district manager of Fontana, gives a tour of the Aldi food market for La Verne dignitaries during the grand opening event at the La Verne Courtyard on Thursday. Aldi, a discount German grocery company, is set to open about 45 stores in Southern California by the end of the year. LA VERNE >> For Tony Witt of Claremont, who was among the first shoppers at the La Verne Aldi on its opening day Thursday, it was all about the savings. “We love Trader Joe’s and … I understand it’s a little bit cheaper than Trader Joe’s. So that’s why we’re excited about it,” said Witt, 58. The La Verne location, at 2268 Foothill Blvd., was part of Aldi Supermarkets second wave of California locations openings. It, a San Bernardino storefront, at 4020 Highland Ave., and eight others featured ribbon-cutting ceremonies, gift certificates, reusable eco-bag giveaways and produce-for-a-year sweepstakes.

A first wave that included another San Bernardino store as well as one in Fontana hit the Southland March 24. The expansion into the Inland Empire comes as the company, based in the U.S. in Illinois with headquarters in Germany, is set to open about 45 stores in Southern California by year’s end. The company has family ties to Trader Joe’s. Private-label merchandise accounts for 90 percent of Aldi’s offerings and the company is selling many of its products for far less than competing name brands at other stores. A quick glance down the store’s aisles proves the point. Aldi’s signature Chef’s Cupboard cream of chicken soup is priced at 79 cents for a 10-5-ounce can, and a 17-ounce box of Millville Frosted Flakes cereal is selling for $1.29. The store is also offering some items shopper might not expect, like a two-bike trunk rack for $30 and patio chairs for $16.99 each. Aldi shopper Alfred Rivera, 80, of Claremont said he believed the company will succeed.

“The prices are good,” Rivera said. “Fresh & Easy tried it out here. People are always comparing prices. So you have to keep the prices low.” The company’s new 825,000-square-foot regional headquarters and distribution center in Moreno Valley is already up and running. All told, the openings will create about 1,100 jobs for the region. Aldi already operates nearly 1,500 U.S. locations in 33 states, but the company plans to expand that to nearly 2,000 locations by the end of 2018. “Our entrance into Southern California has been controlled and methodical,” said Gordon Nesbit, division vice president for Aldi’s Moreno Valley operations. “A lot of thought went into the overall process. We came in with exceptionally high quality and exceptionally low prices. That combination really hasn’t been seen here in Southern California.” Consumers and industry experts alike are watching the company’s progress in light of Haggen’s recent crash-and-burn experience.

That Bellingham, Washington-based supermarket chain entered Southern California last year when it acquired 146 stores, including 83 California locations that previously had operated as Vons or Albertsons.wedding chair covers suffolk But a lack of advertising and high prices kept shoppers away. high chair for sale cebuThat led to layoffs, store closures, lawsuits, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, and finally, Haggen’s decision to pull out of California.chair cover hire norwich Phil Lempert, a Santa Monica-based analyst of consumer behavior and marketing trends, figures Aldi will fare much better.rocking chair vitra price

“The Millennial generation loves them for their prices, the size of their stores (they average 11,000 square feet), the management and the quality of their products,” he said. cheap armchair leicester“And they are well established in the way they are rolling out their stores. fabric dining chairs mississaugaThey’re not overtaxing their system. wegner the chair usaThey’re doing it right.”wiggle side chair material EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been edited to clarify the company’s connection to Trader Joe’s.office chairs price in bhubaneswar

The German discount grocers, Aldi and Lidl, have steadily grabbed market share in the U.K. over recent years to the point where the two combined account for a nearly 11 percent share of the grocery market. With Aldi ramping up its expansion in the U.S. and Lidl planning to enter the market in a big way as early as next year, the question is whether the two will achieve a comparable level of success here. Aldi is a familiar banner in many communities across the U.S. The chain, which has grown to nearly 1,600 stores, began making in-roads with its small box stores in lower income communities that offer a limited assortment of primarily private label groceries. More recently, however, the company has begun opening locations in towns where the consumers have greater financial resources. According to a Wall Street Journal article, Aldi says the majority of its most recent 500 store openings have been in suburban communities with middle-income consumers or higher. As it expands, Aldi is counting on the lure of great prices on high quality groceries (Aldi has a no questions asked return policy) will be enough to achieve success in higher income towns.

In recent years, Aldi has begun rolling out more upscale items under its SimplyNature line. Lidl is busy setting up its supply chain system and nailing down store locations along the Eastern seaboard. The chain is also reported to be doing the same in Texas. Kantar Retail, in a new report, “Quantifying the Disruption,” projects Lidl will open around 100 stores per year in the U.S. reaching 630 by 2023. Initially, each store will generate an average of around $10 million in sales, climbing to $15.2 million over that period. If Kantar’s projections hold, Lidl will achieve total sales of $8.8 billion by 2023, more than the $8.1 billion Wegmans will do this year. Aldi, Lidl continue to gain market share in the U.K. – MarketWatch Discount Grocery Aldi Heads Into Wealthier Areas – The Wall Street Journal (sub. required) Aldi wants to make organics affordable for everyone – RetailWire Lidl follows Aldi to the U.S. – RetailWire DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What is your forecast for Aldi and Lidl in the U.S.?