Carol Spieckerman

Aldi Not Messin' Around in Texas

March 10, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Limited assortment grocer Aldi plans to open its first 27 stores in Texas this spring as part of the chain's aggressive growth strategy in markets across the country. How is Aldi affecting how other grocers go to market in the U.S.?      [more...]

I spend quite a bit of time in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and every time I'm there, I wonder how in the world it can support so much retail. Many stores that have been there since I was a girl have stayed put even as every imaginable super center, chain and specialty concept wedges in. A sea of retail! I know that not every town in Texas is like DFW and I can see Aldi doing quite well in more underserved areas. I have to wonder if this is a preemptive move on Walmart in urban markets. I expect Walmart to greatly expand its urban presence and small format concepts in the coming years and Texas would be a key market for that. Therefore, I see Aldi's expansion in Texas as biting into the future more than the present.