STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Aldi was the country’s “fastest-growing grocer” in 2024, a new report says, detailing how the discount food chain added 105 new stores over the past 12 months and witnessed a 51.2% increase in foot traffic.
“Post-pandemic, the popularity of discount and specialty grocers has risen significantly among consumers as the elevated cost of groceries has left many searching for lower prices…,” noted the annual Grocery Report from JLL, a global commercial real estate and investment management services company.
“Enticed by low prices, shoppers would increasingly frequent these discount grocers, with Aldi’s foot traffic rising over 900 million in 2024,” the report continued.
The brand, which opened its first Staten Island store in Greenridge Plaza in September, is currently building out another location in New Dorp, which is estimated to open this summer.
Known for its no-frills selling strategy and competitive prices, Aldi operates more than 2,000 locations throughout 36 states, mostly concentrated in the eastern half of the country. Headquartered in Batavia, Illinois, the company employs more than 25,000 people – a number that is expected to increase soon.
“In February 2025, Aldi announced plans to open over 225 new stores in 2025 – a doubling of new store openings from previous years, following its five-year growth plan of opening 800 new stores by 2028,” the Grocery Report said.
And Aldi is not the only food brand experiencing growth: According to JLL’s research, larger-format regional grocers like Publix and H-E-B are actively expanding in the South, adding millions of square feet to their footprint.
Specialty grocers are having a moment too. Sprouts opened 35 new stores, adding just under 840,000 square feet of new space, and Trader Joe’s added over 450,000 square feet of new space in the form of 34 new locations — including a highly anticipated store in Pleasant Plains, which is slated to debut later this year.