Christmas came early: ALDI in Hattiesburg opens to customers eager for new options
Hundreds of excited shoppers waited outside in the cold Thursday morning for the new ALDI grocery store to open its doors.
Autumn Tate of Hattiesburg arrived at the store at 3:20 a.m. to be one of the first in line.
"It's like my Christmas came early," she said. "I've looked forward to this for a very long time."
The grand opening was announced on the company's website, and word spread quickly as many customers, such as Tate, had waited for over a year to shop at the chain grocery store.
Latanga Donaldson of Hattiesburg arrived at 9 a.m. carrying her ALDI shopping bag, ready to join the crowd in the store, but when she saw how far the line ran, she changed her mind and decided to return after the opening rush had passed.
Donaldson and her family moved to Hattiesburg from Minnesota, where she shopped at ALDI regularly.
"ALDI is great," she said. "They have the best food. Their stock changes all the time. It's great quality food and good service."
ALDI and city officials were on hand to welcome new customers and held a ribbon-cutting to mark the store's official opening.
"We are grateful that ALDI made the investment in our city," Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said at the ribbon-cutting. "We continually see this town renew itself in growth. We're excited to have the ALDI family as part of that growth."
The ALDI in Hattiesburg will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
“Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we’ve been voted the price leader for six years running,” said Heather Moore, regional vice president for ALDI. “We’re excited to open our first ALDI store in Hattiesburg and introduce local customers to a new, more affordable way of shopping.”
What you need to know: Never shopped at ALDI? Here are some tips before you go to the new Hattiesburg store
Hattiesburg has not seen any new grocery store options for over 20 years. It is home to the family-owned Corner Market stores. Other chain grocery options include Winn-Dixie, Walmart and Target.
In 1998, Albertsons opened a store across from Walmart Supercenter on U.S. 49 but closed three years later.
Here are a few things to note about ALDI:
Low prices: ALDI is committed to keeping grocery prices affordable.
ALDI-exclusive products: ALDI mostly sells exclusive brands and features weekly offerings of limited-time ALDI Finds like candles, seasonal food, home goods and more.
Shoppers participate in the savings: Depositing a quarter to unlock a shopping cart is one way ALDI saves shoppers money. ALDI doesn’t need to hire employees to corral loose carts, and customers get their quarter back when they return the cart. ALDI also asks shoppers to bring reusable bags and has never offered single-use plastic bags.
Online shopping and curbside pickup: Customers who want convenient shopping options can take advantage of ALDI's grocery delivery and curbside pickup by placing an order at shop.aldi.us.
Store size: A typical ALDI store is approximately 12,000 square feet of retail space, making it easier to shop than oversized grocery stores.
Employment opportunities: ALDI is constantly creating new jobs in local communities, company officials said in a news release. To learn more, visit careers.aldi.us.
For more information, visit new.aldi.us.
Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: ALDI opens in Hattiesburg, MS
