LYNN HAVEN — Discount grocery chain Aldi opens for business next week in Bay County.
There's a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 25 at 9 a.m. at 2260 State 77, on the north side of Publix at Lynn Haven Center.
The store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The first 100 customers will receive a gift bag filled with a sampling of "Aldi Fan Favorites" products, as well as a gift card. In addition, shoppers will have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes to win a $500 Aldi gift card.
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"Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we've been voted the price leader for five years running," said Heather Moore, division vice president for Aldi.
Aldi is short for Albrecht-Diskont, which translates from German into English as "Albrecht Discount." Brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht founded the German grocery chain in 1946; they inherited their first store from their mother, who opened a small grocery store in 1913 in Essen, according to buinessinsider.com.
The Aldi business model is intentionally different, resulting in a fast and affordable shopping experience, Moore said.
For instance, you have to put a quarter into your shopping cart to use it. You'll see tons of brands you probably don't recognize and you have to bag your own groceries. There's also a smaller number of products than you might be used to seeing in stores and items typically are stacked on the display boxes they're shipped in.
The store offers ALDI Finds, which are limited-time, specialty items ranging from unique foods and home goods to unexpected finds like gardening essentials and pet accessories.
Bay County shoppers can look forward to weekly Aldi savings deals, online shopping, and curbside pickup.
"Our new Gulf Coast locations will carry local favorites such as Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, Crystal’s Hot Sauce, Blue Plate Mayonnaise, Blue Bell Ice Cream and Luzianne Sweet Tea," Moore said.
The new Bay County location is part of the company's aggressive nationwide growth in recent years, including the opening of 150 stores this year, about 20 of which will be in Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida Panhandle and Louisiana.
The grocer is planning a second Bay County location for Callaway at the corner of Seventh Street and Camellia Avenue, next to Walmart. Callaway officials said it will open near the end of 2023.
For more information about Aldi, visit Aldi.us.