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ALDI Grand Opening in Lakeland Florida, Shopping Groceries - German Style

By
Managing Real Estate Broker with Lakeland Real Estate Group, Inc. BK646565

ALDI Grand Opening in Lakeland Florida, Shopping Groceries - German Style

Driving north on Highway 98, located next to the restaurant Golden Corral I'm sure you noticed- there is a new kid in town.

ALDI - Are you wondering where the name originated? AL=Albrecht DI=Discount.

Here is a little history of the retail store ALDI for you. Brothers Theodore and Karl Albrecht took over their mother's modest store at the end of WWII, creating ALDI what is thought to be the original discount store in Germany. Since 1975, ALDI South expanded to the United States with over 800 stores currently open and now we have the pleasure to welcome ALDI to Lakeland, Florida on September 25, 2008.

A typical ALDI store in northern part of Germany

ALDI in Germany

ALDI in Germany

Are you ready to shop German Style?

I remember when I grew up in Germany, my mom send me off with my grocery bag to the store to get items like sugar, milk, jam, and coffee at the local discount store. My parents never bought brand name items, always buying the store's own name brands because there was considerable savings compared to other traditional stores and the quality of the products were just as equal. Grocery shopping in Germany is very different. German folks go grocery shopping almost on a daily basis by taking along shopping bags saving every cent there is to save by these straightforward grocery chains.

ALDI Shopping CartThe store embraces a no-frills attitude here in Lakeland. There will be nobody bagging your groceries at check out, shopping carts are rentals and can only be accessed and operated when you deposit a Quarter (25-cent) in the cart's lock. Most of ALDI's products about 95% are made up of their own private label brands, which is why they are called a discount store with prices at its lowest - "Shop Smart Florida". Products are presented efficiently on self-displaying cases on pallets or shipping crates keeping labor costs down. ALDI's products have multiple UPC bar codes scanning dependable from every direction, so the cashier does not have to search for the code, which speeds up the process at check out.

Here is my recommendation. Before leaving your home, put a plastic or heavy duty box with handle in the trunk of the car. After you complete your shopping, all you have to do is put your groceries in the box you took with and bring them right into your house to put away. Saving on plastic bags, money, and helping the environment.

ALDI is located at 4745 US 98 Hwy N. - The store hours are Mon-Sat 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sundays 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

ALDI in Lakeland Florida

Copyright © 2008 http://www.petranorris.com| All Rights Reserved | 

ALDI Grand Opening in Lakeland Florida, Shopping Groceries - German Style 

Petra Norris - Realtor®

 Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.

P.O. Box 92050 - Lakeland, FL 33804-2050  

Telephone (863) 618-6919

Comments(10)

Kathy McGraw
CELLing Realty - White Water, CA
Riverside County CA Real Estate

Petra- this looks like a nice store.  I remember grocery shopping in Germany, a little town called Bad Tolz (spelling might be wrong) and you are so correct as to it being different.  I was embarrassed trying to buy fruit as you had to weigh the fruit, put the sticker onit, then take it to the cashier.....a little different than here :)

In todays economy this store should do very well as you are so right about the name brands.  Another thing I learned living overseas was to buy food that I had no idea the label, or anything but amazing I survived quite nicely for almost 4 years :)

Sep 23, 2008 04:44 PM
Petra Norris
Lakeland Real Estate Group, Inc. - Lakeland, FL
Realtor, Lakeland FL Homes for Sale

Kathy - Did you enjoy your time in Bad Toelz? It will be interesting to see if ALDI will make an impact here in Lakeland, especially since WalMart did not fare well in Germany.

Sep 24, 2008 12:16 AM
Petra Norris
Lakeland Real Estate Group, Inc. - Lakeland, FL
Realtor, Lakeland FL Homes for Sale

Uta - Actually the pictures were taken recently in Kiel, Germany. The photo of the aisle is exactly the one here in Lakeland when I visited at the Grand Opening. Thanks for your comment.

Oct 02, 2008 11:27 AM
Sandy Nelson
Riley Jackson Real Estate Inc. - Olympia, WA
your Olympia area Realtor

Petra,

Wouldn't it be nice if the ALDIs here in the States actually carried the same merchandise as in Germany?

Sandy

Oct 08, 2008 12:28 PM
Petra Norris
Lakeland Real Estate Group, Inc. - Lakeland, FL
Realtor, Lakeland FL Homes for Sale

Sandy - That would be great. Thanks for commenting!

Oct 09, 2008 12:12 AM
Dan Whitmore
Home Solution Title, Inc. - Lakeland, FL

Very informative article.  My Grandma, or should I say Oma, enjoys shopping at ALDI all the time.  It is a very nice store.

Nov 03, 2008 07:35 AM
Anonymous
KLAUS STROEHER

 I am German,who came to Lake Wales  8 years ago and missed Aldi much.Hope they come to Winterhaven/Lake Wales too.

Nov 03, 2008 01:17 PM
#8
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES
Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL
Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Hey Petra, you think they would have some good old Germany Christmas candy and cookies? You know what I mean, Lebkuchenherzen and Marzipankartoffeln...

Nov 05, 2008 11:48 AM
Anonymous
Jim Highsmith

I'm a professional motorcycle drag racer looking for a sponsor.I think Aldi would be a great one for me. I think I could carry there logo and advertise for them in a very professional manner If you could please let me no who I could contact at their corp office I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Jun 06, 2009 01:30 AM
#10