Aldi readies East County presence

EAST COUNTY — Aldi is adding a second grocer location to Manatee County and its first East County location.

Batavia, Ill.-based discount grocer Aldi Inc. has submitted preliminary plans to open a 17,018-square-foot location at the northeast corner of State Road 70 East and 45th Street East, at 4505 53rd Street E.

It will sit on four parcels of land that make up 3.87 acres. The store will have 85 parking spaces.

Aldi, a German corporation, opened its first location in the area in September 2010 in west Bradenton, at the southwest corner of Cortez Road and 47th Street West.

The grocer appeals to thrifty shoppers willing to sacrifice traditional offerings in lieu of more savings.

The company, for instance, charges for bags and requires each customer to use a quarter each time he wants to use a shopping cart. The company does not take credit cards or personal checks and doesn’t carry well-known brands. Aldi also doesn’t have a bakery or a deli.

But for staples such as bread, eggs, milk and more, the company touts its prices as at least 50% lower than nearby grocery stores. More than 90% of an Aldi store’s offerings include Aldi-exclusive brands.

The company is also known for its flash sales, bringing quirky products, such as tablets, other electronics and sporting goods, to its shelves for brief periods of time. The store does not promote the deals in advance to customers.

Manatee County Planner Rossina Leider said the Aldi application will not come before the Manatee County Planning Commission until early next year. Comments on the application provided by planners are being made for Aldi representatives next week.

Aldi representatives and the application’s agent did not return phone calls seeking comment about the new location.

The store’s approximate construction timeline and opening date is unknown until the planning commission reviews the application next year.

Aldi operates close to 1,300 stores in 32 states and more than 4,000 stories worldwide.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].