The company will invest $9 billion to reach its goal of 3,200 stores by 2028.
As ALDI celebrates its 50th anniversary in the United States, the international grocery chain plans to open 180 new stores in 31 states by the end of 2026.
In a Jan. 12 announcement, the company shared its growth plans over the next five years, which include launching in Colorado for the first time and expanding operations throughout the South and West. Over the next two years, ALDI will open 50 new stores in the Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado markets. These locations will also be supported by an accompanying distribution center.
The grocer in this year will also enter Maine for the first time by opening a store in Portland, marking the 40th state in which it operates.
“One in three U.S. households shopped at ALDI this past year, and in 2026, we’re focusing on marking it even easier for customers to shop our aisles first,” ALDI U.S. CEO Atty McGrath said in the statement.
“That means bringing ALDI to even more neighborhoods, upgrading our website and planning additional distribution centers to keep our shelves stocked with products our shoppers love.”
The grocer is known for offering lower prices and high-quality private-label brands, as well as organic produce, wine, cheese, and staples. The company attributes its growth to consumer demand, as it reported that millions of new customers flocked to the stores as inflation drove grocery prices up.
Following its 2024 acquisition of Southeastern Grocers, ALDI converted and opened close to 90 stores, with plans to convert more than 200 by the end of 2027. Phoenix will see 10 new stores this year, with plans for an additional 40 by the end of 2030. In Las Vegas, ALDI will follow up 2025’s four new stores with another four by 2030.
The company will also add three new distribution centers over the next three years, in Aurora, Colorado; Baldwin, Florida; and Goodyear, Arizona. As a result of this growth, ALDI predicts it will create hundreds of new jobs in each of its regions.
By the end of this year, the grocery chain will be operating nearly 2,800 stores as it advances toward its goal of 3,200 U.S. stores by the end of 2028, with a total investment of $9 billion. Last year alone, the company reported 17 million new customers, as it revealed plans to offer consumers a new digital shopping experience later this year.
Its new website is scheduled to launch early this year and will include product recommendations for quick reordering, expanded nutritional information, recipes, and other tools to assist shoppers. In addition, the new site will make curbside pickup easier for consumers. The company will also expand its delivery partnerships with Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.
The global chain with locations across Europe, Australia, and China had simple beginnings as the world’s first discount grocery store in Germany in 1961. Founded by the Albrecht family, ALDI opened its first U.S. location in Iowa in 1976. Today, its American headquarters is in the Chicago suburb of Batavia, and the company currently operates more than 2,400 U.S. stores with more than 45,000 employees.
