WASHINGTON — With rival German discount grocery Lidl planning to open its first Washington-area stores this summer, Aldi is busy polishing up its stores in the region through a $30 million remodeling program.
Aldi says it will eventually complete makeovers at 30 stores in the Washington area by 2018, with a modern and more open look and feel, and larger produce, dairy and bakery sections.
It is part of a nationwide $1.6 billion investment in its U.S. stores Aldi announced in February.
“We know there is only one way to attract and keep fans: continually providing the highest-quality products, while staying true to what our competitors can’t match — everyday low prices,” said Jeff Baehr, an Aldi division vice president.
Aldi has completed remodels at 17 Washington-area stores and plans grand re-openings at stores in Stafford, Fredericksburg and Manassas May 12.
In addition to remodeling existing stores, Aldi has aggressive nationwide growth plans, with close to 2,000 stores by the end of 2018.
Lidl, which established its North American headquarters in Crystal City in 2015 as a base for its U.S. expansion, has already established distribution centers in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and Cecil County, Maryland. It plans to have 100 stores across the East Coast within one year of its first store openings.
