Bloomington is getting a new Aldi grocery store this summer on East Third Street in the location of the recently closed Barnes and Noble. It will be closer to campus than the store’s existing South Liberty Drive location.
Aldi, which has about 1,800 locations across the U.S., sells high quality food at an affordable price, according to a press release from Laura Bauer, Aldi Greenwood, Indiana, division vice president.
This new location is part of Aldi’s plan to expand to about 2,500 stores by the end of 2022, according to the release. The existing location is going to be expanded and remodeled late this summer.
Sophomore Connor Hines said he has been to Aldi a couple times.
He said he lives west of campus right now, closer to the first location, but he thinks the new location will attract most students who live closer to campus.
“It’s cheap,” he said. “It gets the job done and it serves the basics, so I totally understand the appeal.”
Sophomores Lauren Morris and Sophia Armatas are in a sorority, so they said they do not grocery shop often. When they do, their go-to is Target, and Morris said she has never been to an Aldi.
They said Target is convenient because it’s by the mall, and since the new Aldi location is in the same area, they might check it out.
Freshman Jayda Armstead said she has shopped at Aldi but didn’t know there was already one in Bloomington.
She might go because she said she likes Aldi, though she said she thinks Kroger’s produce is fresher.
Once the existing Aldi location is expanded, the additional space will allow it to carry more fresh produce, dairy and meat, according to the release from Bauer.
Junior Josh Thomson said he doesn’t go to Bloomington’s current Aldi because it’s far away from his house. He said he might go more often with the new location.
