Droves of shoppers line up for grand opening of Aldi near Mt. Pleasant

A festive atmosphere pervaded the grand opening of the newest Aldi grocery store in Westmoreland County, as dozens of eager shoppers lined the sidewalk and braved temperatures in the low 20s early Thursday morning.

The Aldi fans were there not only to see the gleaming new store in East Huntingdon but also to get a chance to win a gift card or even a year’s supply of Aldi produce.

“It’s really bright in here — it makes everything pop,” said Robin Allison, of Scottdale. “There’s a great selection of everything. They really have it well stocked.”

Allison and her husband, Rob, said they normally shop at the Aldi near Belle Vernon but will probably frequent the new store, which occupies 12,000 square feet in the former Kmart near Mt. Pleasant.

“It’s great for our community and great for our town — to have a name like Aldi come in and have a store opening,” said Eric Poole, 41, of Mt. Pleasant, who arrived 90 minutes early to get a good place in line. “It’s going to do a lot for the economy and for jobs.”

The store, located at 100 Crossroads Plaza off Route 819, is of a kind that Aldi has been unveiling across the region, with more spacious sales floors, better lighting and a 40 percent increase in food selection, said J.R. Perry, Saxonburg Division vice president for Aldi.

“This was a void in the market for us, and we have really high expectations for what this store is going to do – if the crowd outside is any indication,” Perry said. “This is going to be a great store for us.”

The opening comes on the heels of Aldi recently reopening stores in North Huntingdon, Hempfield and Unity townships following extensive remodeling projects — part of a $54 million investment that Aldi is making into 36 stores in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

It’s also part of a $3.4 billion investment to expand to 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022. The German discount grocery chain currently has 1,800 stores in 35 states.

“The rising demand for Aldi is really what’s fueling our expansion,” Perry said. “More and more shoppers are coming to understand that they can save time and money while shopping at Aldi, and they don’t have to sacrifice quality.”

Perry said Aldi is able to keep prices low through volume purchasing, the shopping cart deposit system and other business practices. Shoppers must either bring their own bags or purchase them at the store.

Aldi also offers a “double guarantee” — if a customer is not happy with a product, the product is replaced and the customer gets a refund, he said.

Ninety-five percent of the store’s inventory is made up of Aldi-exclusive brands, he said.

Stephen Huba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Stephen at 724-850-1280, shuba@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shuba_trib.