ALDI, QuickChek may be coming to Route 202 in Branchburg
BRANCHBURG – Another supermarket and grocery store may be coming to the township.
The township is reviewing proposals for an ALDI and QuickChek at the intersection of Route 202 and Old York Road across from police headquarters next to the Cornerstone at Branchburg senior community under construction.
Though no dates for formal public hearings have been set, the township Environmental Commission was scheduled to review the ALDI plan on Wednesday and the commission reviewed the QuickChek plan in December.
ALDI has proposed a 19,053-square-foot grocery store on 4.5 acres subdivided from the overall lot of 24.32 acres at the intersection.
The nearest ALDI to Branchburg is in the Flemington Mall, also on Route 202.
There are 61 ALDI's in New Jersey, but this would be the first one in Somerset County. There are eight ALDI's in Middlesex County, one each in East Brunswick, Edison. New Brunswick, Old Bridge, Piscataway and Woodbridge and two in South Plainfield.
ALDI is one of America's fastest-growing retailers with 2,200 stores in 38 states, ALDI is on track to become the country's third-largest grocery retailer by store count.
The first ALDI, which is short for Albrecht Discount, opened in 1961 in Germany. Albrecht Discount split into two companies in 1966 — ALDI Sud, which owns ALDI stores, and ALDI Nord, which owns Trader Joe's.
Together, ALDI Sud and ALDI Nord own more than 10,000 grocery stores in 18 countries.
ALDI's business model calls for cutting overhead costs such as a cart rental system. Shoppers insert a quarter to release a cart from the corral and receive the quarter back upon the cart’s return.
Other cost-saving practices include a smaller store footprint, open carton displays and charging for shopping bags.
QuickChek, based in the Whitehouse Station section of Readington, has proposed a 5,670-square-foot convenience store and gas station also at the intersection.
QuickChek is proposing entrances and exits on both Route 202 and Old York Road. The store has also proposed to construct a storm drainage system and sewer system to serve businesses that are planned for the property.
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QuickChek, which has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, has 161 stores including 95 locations with fuel across New Jersey, New York’s Hudson Valley and Long Island.
QuickChek has one other location in the township at the intersection of routes 22 and 28 in the North Branch section.
The QuickChek on Route 202 would be the only convenience store on northbound Route 202, one of the most heavily traveled highways in Central Jersey, between Wawa at the intersection of Route 202 and Summer Road in Readington. and a 7-Eleven and QuickChek in Raritan Borough.
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In 2020, Murphy USA, based in Arkansas and which has nearly 1,500 locations in the Southwest, Southeast and Midwest, bought QuickChek for $645 million.
Three years ago, the Township Committee approved zoning for the vacant property that used to be farmland at the intersection. The zone allows a variety of uses, including a hotel, fast food restaurants and a convenience store with a gas station.
The new zoning and the senior community were part of the township's settlement of affordable housing litigation.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: ALDI, QuickChek may be coming to Route 202 in Branchburg
