Hundreds of people lined up March 24 for the grand opening of Aldi in Moreno Valley, the new grocery store in town that can help save up to 50 percent on the average grocery bill.
Aldi is an Illinois-based grocery store and has more than 1,500 stores across the nation. Aldi expanded to Southern California, making this its biggest recent achievement in the company’s plan to continue spreading worldwide.
“We are confident once Southern California shoppers get to know us, they’ll come to love us,” said Gordon Nesbit, Moreno Valley division vice president for Aldi, in a press release.
Aldi has exclusive brand-name products, including organic and gluten-free options. It offers a double guarantee. If the customer is not 100 percent satisfied with Aldi brand products, the company will replace the product and give the customer a refund.
Aldi uses a quarter-cart system. A cart is rented for a quarter and the quarter is refunded at the cart’s return. Aldi’s “bring your own bag, bag your own groceries” system is designed to keep the lines moving quicker.
In Southern California alone, Aldi will donate more than $280,000 to local nonprofit organizations and schools to encourage healthy, active lifestyles and make a positive impact on communities.
“What Aldi is doing will benefit everyone — from cheaper prices and healthy options to donations and customer satisfaction,” said Emily Sagherian, senior communication studies major.
Sagherian said she plans to support Aldi because of their pricing model.
“Something that differentiates Aldi from other grocery stores is definitely their low prices,” said Taylor Flowers, 24, substitute teacher from Rancho Cucamonga. “The fruits and vegetables are something I would buy there because they are about half the price of a normal grocery store.”
The low prices are not the only thing attracting shoppers.
“I like the double guarantee system because it makes me believe that they believe in their products and are trying to give you the best product possible,” Flowers said.
If customers are unsatisfied with any product, Aldi will replace the item and refund the money to the shopper with the return of the unsatisfying item.
Aldi has a lot of competition to face in its upcoming years of operation against other Southern California grocery chains.
