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Aldi accelerates expansion with more than 180 new stores slated for 2026

The grocer’s rapid growth could push its store count above Kroger.

Aldi

Aldi

3 min read

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Entering its 50th year stateside, Aldi is hitting the ground running by breaking ground this year on a host of new locations.

The discount grocer today announced footprint expansion plans that could push it to become the nation’s second-largest supermarket in terms of store count. It also said it would improve its supply chain operations and ecommerce experience, reaching a total investment of $9 billion over five years by 2028.

Aldi will open more than 180 new stores this year, bringing its footprint to ~2,800 amid its goal to reach 3,200 stores by 2028. It’ll debut in Portland, Maine—its 40th state—along with 10 new stores in Phoenix, Arizona (with 40 planned for 2030). Aldi will also double its Las Vegas footprint—where it opened four stores in 2025—by 2030, and open 50 stores in Colorado over the next five years.

On the back of its Southeastern Grocers deal, it’ll convert 80 of the grocer’s locations into Aldi stores, building on the 90 it’s already converted, and will change more than 200 by 2027.

The growth comes after a slew of new store openings last year, including 18 on a single day in December. Aldi is the third-largest grocery chain in the US in terms of store count, behind Kroger at 2,700 and Walmart with more than 5,000. But with the expansion plans, Aldi could be neck and neck with Kroger—which itself is closing 60 locations by year’s end—for the No. 2 spot.

“In 2026, we’re focused on making it even easier for customers to shop our aisles first,” Aldi US CEO Atty McGrath, who took over the role from Jason Hart in September and promptly oversaw a refresh of its private label portfolio, said in a statement.

Aldi will be expanding its distribution network to boost capacity by 20%, opening new centers in Baldwin, Florida; Goodyear, Arizona; and Aurora, Colorado, over the next three years, and adding perishable food capabilities to its Haines City, Florida, distribution center.

And it’s redesigning its online shopping experience early this year, adding tools like product recommendations and shoppable recipes, and is also adding home delivery as an option on its website through partnerships with Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.

Aldi said the effort is to meet increased demand, claiming in 2025, 1 in 3 households—and 17 million new customers—visited its stores. The company continues to grow its grocery industry visit share, rising from 4.3% in 2022 to 5.7% in 2025, according to Placer.ai, with its visits growing 8.9% between November 2024 and October 2025.

Retail news that keeps industry pros in the know

Retail Brew delivers the latest retail industry news and insights surrounding marketing, DTC, and e-commerce to keep leaders and decision-makers up to date.