Which State Has The Most Aldi Stores?
If you've ever wondered where in the U.S. you can find the most amount of Aldi stores, the answer is pretty straightforward: Illinois. With 212 Aldi stores as of mid-September in the Prairie State, it has just one more store than the state with the next highest density of Aldi locations (Florida). While you might think this is related to the density of Illinois cities like Chicago, just 73 stores are located in more urban metro areas. The other 139 stores are strewn across the more suburban areas of the state.
It makes a certain amount of sense that Aldi would have so many stores in Illinois when you consider that the company's U.S. headquarters is based in Batavia, a suburb of Chicago. In addition to corporate offices, the Batavia HQ features a test kitchen and is situated near the Aldi Insight Center, a model grocery store. It is the cultural center of Aldi U.S., even going as far as to host a wedding there in 2022.
Read more: The Best Grocery Store In Every State
Florida Coming In Close Behind
Although Aldi is pretty well settled in Illinois, its footprint is quickly shifting. There are currently 211 stores in Florida, just one fewer than in Illinois. In short order, though, the Sunshine State is poised to eclipse the Prairie State as the home to the most Aldi stores.
Between 2023 and 2024, Aldi is adding another 520+ stores in the states, primarily in the southeast along the Gulf Coast. The German grocer announced earlier in 2023 that it would be buying up many of the southern stores owned by the grocery conglomerate Southeastern Grocers, primarily Winn-Dixie stores. The acquisition of approximately 400 stores from Southeastern Grocers will lead to an additional 299+ stores in Florida, making the total at the end of the day 510 Florida locations -- nearly double the number of stores currently housed in Illinois. That's a lot of Aldis!
That said, not all of the Southeastern Grocers stores being acquired by Aldi will be converted into Aldi stores. The grocery chain has said that it will continue operating some stores as they are currently branded, so Aldi's Florida footprint may not be quite as pervasive to the eye as it seems on paper.
The Other Side Of The Aldi Coin
Although Aldi is growing like crazy, there are still areas of the U.S. that don't have access to the popular chain. It may seem reasonable that smaller states have fewer Aldi stores. Rhode Island, Delaware, and New Hampshire only have nine each, and Vermont only has three. Plus, there are 12 states that don't have Aldi at all: Hawaii, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Surprisingly, even some larger states don't have very many Aldi locations. Admittedly sparsely populated, North and South Dakota only have eight locations between the two, while Arizona only has 11 stores. Texas only has 126 locations, even though it has more than twice the population of Illinois. California, with three times the population of Illinois, has only 99 stores.
With the acquisition of Southeastern Grocer stores, some of the Gulf States with low Aldi numbers will see more of the German grocer in the coming year. But if you're in an area without an Aldi, don't fret -- with how quickly the chain is growing, the low-cost grocer may come to you sooner than you think.
Read the original article on Daily Meal.
