HUNTSVILLE — More than 100 eager shoppers bundled up to stand in line before the grand opening event Jan. 16 at Huntsville’s newest ALDI store on Memorial Parkway.

The grand opening was a long time coming for the store, which was originally scheduled to hold the event in December. Despite the main event being rescheduled, ALDI still opened its doors to the public.

The line stretches long before ALDI opens for the day on Jan. 16. (Record Photo/Kendyl Hollingsworth)

The new grocery store, part of a chain headquartered in Germany, seeks to provide a “smarter, faster and easier” shopping experience for its customers. The chain has built up a reputation for its competitively priced produce, staple groceries and other household goods.

Carrie and Ben Otte were two dedicated shoppers who braved the cold temperatures to snag a spot in line for the grand opening. In fact, their dedication earned them the first spots in line. As a special promotion, ALDI offered a few prizes, including a gift card valued up to $100 for the first 100 shoppers, a free reusable shopping bag for the first 1,000 and the chance to win free produce for a year. The store also offered coupons and free food samples in the morning.

According to Ben, the Otte party of three arrived at the store at about 9:15 p.m. the day before the grand opening event. “We’re super excited,” Carrie said. “We love it.” She said she chooses to shop at ALDI for the cheap prices and happy employees.

Carrie added that she was eager to check out the new store and see what kinds of updates the store has made in comparison to other locations. Of course, the event’s special rewards were a big draw as well. “ALDI is our favorite store,” she said.

As employees gathered outside for the official ribbon cutting, the store manager shared a few words of thanks to the shoppers waiting in line.

“I want to thank you guys so much for coming out and hanging with us today and for your support, for being so patient as we worked out all of our kinks to get the store absolutely perfect for you guys,” she said.

She also thanked her team of ALDI employees for their work in preparing for the big day.

“My staff has been amazing, resilient, and they’ve been a great bunch of hardworking people, and I would not have been able to do it without them, so they deserve a lot of credit today,” she added.

A news release said this new Huntsville location is part of a $3.4 billion investment to expand the chain to 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022—good news for the numerous Madison County residents who are still asking for an ALDI closer to them.

The layout of the new Memorial Parkway location seeks to provide an “improved” shopping experience and features additional refrigerated space. According to the release, ALDI has also expanded their product selection by 20 percent compared to last year, and they have also expanded their produce selection by 40 percent.

“Shopping for groceries is essential,” said Troy Marshall, Mount Juliet division vice president for ALDI, in the release. “That’s why we’re committed to making it something people look forward to. We’re thrilled to welcome even more of the Huntsville community to experience what makes ALDI one of the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S.”

This ALDI is located next to Academy Sports and Outdoors at 2900 Memorial Parkway SW in Huntsville. Its regular business hours are from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on ALDI, visit aldi.us.