Aldi Opens 3rd Brooklyn, N.Y., Store

At Aldi's new Brooklyn, N.Y., store at 1628 Flatbush Avenue, many sections were called out by colorful signage, much of it bilingual.

Aldi has opened a third store in the New York borough of Brooklyn, on 1628 Flatbush Ave., very close to Brooklyn College. The new location is part of the German deep-discount grocer’s aggressive U.S. expansion. Currently operating more than 2,000 stores in 37 states, Aldi is on track to become the third-largest U.S. grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022.

The company’s business model focuses on offering shoppers high-quality products at the lowest possible prices, the majority of them private label items. The new Brooklyn store, which made its official debut on Sept. 2, will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Within New York City’s five boroughs, Aldi also has stores on 528 Gateway Drive and 3785 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, as well as locations on 61-11 Junction Boulevard in Queens’ Rego Park neighborhood and on 517 East 117th Street in Manhattan.

Following a modest ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place slightly earlier than the scheduled time of 9 a.m., a small group of waiting shoppers was ushered inside, where they were able to shop the spacious aisles for produce, meat, frozen food, center store staples, kitchenware and more, with many sections called out by colorful signage — much of it bilingual — and large screens featuring appealing food images. Early arrivals received a free reusable bag, and a checkout were given three $5-off coupons with a minimum $30 purchase at the store for the next three weeks, along with a complimentary Aldi keychain. Shoppers could also scan their smartphones for a chance to win a $500 gift card.

“The Brooklyn store is in a mixed-use development and has a modern design that features locally inspired wall decals, including the famous Brooklyn Bridge,” noted Chris Daniels, South Windsor regional VP for the grocer. “A typical store, including our new Brooklyn location, is approximately 12,000 square feet of retail space, making Aldi stores much easier to navigate than traditional grocery stores. The consistent size of Aldi stores across the country is a part of our formula for success. Every Aldi has a similar, easy-to-navigate layout, so you’ll always feel like you’re shopping at your local store.”

This year, the retailer plans to further expand its curbside grocery pickup service to 500 more stores, bringing the total number of curbside locations to more than 1,200.

Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi U.S. is No. 24 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food retailers in North America.