DARTMOUTH — On Sept. 23, the Dartmouth Mall welcomed the grocery store chain ALDI.
“ALDI is one of America’s fastest-growing retailers because we offer a convenient shopping experience for affordable, on-trend and sustainable goods,” Chris Daniels, South Windsor regional vice president for ALDI, said in a Sept. 14 press release.
“We have served this community for more than two years and look forward to continuing to offer Dartmouth residents high-quality, fresh foods and low prices in every ALDI aisle, every day,” he added.
What to expect:ALDI prepares to open new store in Dartmouth Mall
The new location is part of the company’s aggressive national expansion. Since 1976, ALDI operates more than 2,000 stores in 37 states and says it’s on track to become the third-largest U.S. grocery retailer by the end of 2022.
“As the demand for ALDI grows, so do our real estate options,” wrote Daniels in an exclusive Q&A interview with The Standard-Times. “We have confidence in our model and proof that it works for shoppers wherever they live. This gives us a lot of flexibility when exploring potential markets.”
An updated ALDI experience
Daniels said the Dartmouth Mall’s ALDI also provides an improved shopping experience with additional refrigeration space for more fresh, healthy and convenient products. New stores also feature open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally friendly building materials.
Since COVID-19, Daniel said ALDI has seen more customers turn to eCommerce, so they’ve advanced plans to expand Curbside Grocery Pickup services.
“In response to changing customer needs during the pandemic, more than 1,200 stores will have curbside grocery pickup by the end of 2021 and the Dartmouth store will have both delivery and curbside pickup as options.”
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ALDI offers several award-winning, ALDI-exclusive products. Daniels said he recommends shoppers try products such as Earth Grown, their exclusive line of vegetarian and vegan foods.
Little Journey is also an exclusive brand of premium, award-winning baby and toddler essentials. More than 60 Little Journey products have earned the prestigious Good Housekeeping Seal.
ALDI was also the first grocery store to offer their own line of gluten-free foods with the liveGfree brand. The Never Any! meats are certified by the USDA as raised antibiotic-free, with no added hormones or steroids, and no animal byproducts.
ALDI also offers a “Twice As Nice Guarantee.” If you try an ALDI brand and you’re not 100{c30f02d1a3839018c3a3c8c7102050a0b32e2e4f8eba54dea6cc544f0247e749} satisfied, bring it back, and it will be replaced and refunded.
In May 2021, ALDI invited fans to vote for their favorite ALDI products across 10 categories. The overall Fan Favorite Product for Massachusetts was Mama Cozzi’s Pizza Kitchen Take and Bake Deli Pizza.
ALDI vs. other supermarkets
According to a 2020 retail brand trust study, ALDI is best in value and one of the grocery leaders in trust and customer recommendations. “Bottom line, retailers cannot match our low prices, making ALDI the leader in providing shoppers the most value for their money,” Daniels said.
According to a USA Today article, “there’s a strategy to shop ALDI to find the kinds of deals and gotta-haves that inspire Facebook groups of thousands gushing about what they scored on their Aldi excursions.”
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Customers also bag their own purchases. The cashier, who is seated, places items in a cart, but customers then take it to a special counter where they then bag the items themselves.
“Rather than hire extra staff to answer phones and retrieve carts, our employees stay focused on serving our shoppers in stores,” the company said in frequently asked questions on its website. “This saves us money, but more importantly we pass those savings on to our customers.”
The Dartmouth Mall location’s general manger is Chelsea Pontes from Berkley. Pontes has years of experience in retail management, and she came on with ALDI as a store manager trainee earlier this year and was promoted to the store manager prior to the store’s grand opening.
She is also a graduate from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
“Everything we do is to provide shoppers with the high-quality, fresh foods they want at prices they love, all in an experience they enjoy,” Daniels added. “From our unique business model rooted in simplicity and efficiency to our thoughtful store layouts.
“Everything about ALDI is designed to provide customers the best grocery shopping experience.”
Information from USA Today was used in this report.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/business/2021/10/15/aldi-dartmouth-mall-opens-exclusive-photos-grocery-store-chain/6039772001/