Aldi Enters Charleston, S.C., Market This Month
Batavia, Ill.-based hard-discount grocery chain Aldi is scheduled to open its first location in the Charleston, S.C., metro area later this month.
The grand opening for Aldi’s Summerville store is expected Aug. 27, according to the grocer’s website. The 15,000-square-foot location at 10015 Dorchester Road will open on the site of a former bowling alley that was torn down earlier this year, according to Charleston’s Post and Courier.
This will be Aldi’s 24th store in South Carolina. In Charleston, it enters a crowded grocery market that’s home to locations of Harris Teeter, Publix, Earth Fare, Whole Foods, Bi-Lo, Food Lion and Walmart, along with many independent retailers.
As part of the Summerville grand opening, Aldi shoppers can enter to win free produce for a year, receive a free Aldi shopping bag and sample products; the store’s first 100 shoppers will receive a golden ticket for a chance to win prizes.
Aldi hiring events planned
The retailer expects to host hiring events throughout the United States this month for more than 2,500 positions, a significant step toward achieving its goal of creating 10,000 new jobs by the end of 2018. With more than 1,400 stores in 32 states, Aldi has store associate, shift manager and manager trainee spots available, boasting wages higher than the national average for the retail industry.
Aldi plans to open 650 new locations across the country, bringing its total number of U.S. stores to nearly 2,000 coast-to-coast by the end of 2018, with its first stores in Southern California expected to open next March. Local hiring events there will begin in September to create more than 1,100 jobs by the end of 2016 for its new stores, as well as at the company’s regional headquarters and warehouse in Moreno Valley, Calif.
“As we continue to expand and meet increased demand for high-quality, fresh groceries at a great value, these hiring events are critical to finding the best possible talent to serve our customers,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi U.S. “We firmly believe that our employees are the key to our success and their commitment to customer service is one of the reasons why we’re growing at an accelerated pace. To attract and retain the best talent, we have a strong track record of being an employer of choice, rewarding our employees for their continued service and promoting from within.”
Aldi was named the 2014 Retailer of the Year by PG sister publication Store Brands.