HO_062719

homerhorizon.com news
the homer horizon | June 27, 2019 | 7
Aldi draws big crowd of shoppers for grand reopening, ribbon cutting
First 100 people
in line receive gift
cards for store
Thomas Czaja, Editor
Homer Glen resident
Marcela Rodarte woke up
at 6:15 a.m., decided it was
too early and eventually
made her way over and arrived
about 7:50 a.m.
She thought that would
allow her plenty of time,
but she still ended up as
the 104th person in line,
narrowly missing the cutoff
to be in the Top 100
for gift cards. Such was
the popularity of the Aldi
grand reopening and ribbon
cutting held Thursday,
June 20, at the Aldi at
14245 S. Greystone Drive
in Homer Glen.
A ribbon cutting ceremony
was held at 8:25
a.m. with Village of Homer
Glen, Heritage Corridor
Business Alliance
and Aldi officials, and the
first 100 customers in line
to get inside after that received
gift cards ranging
in value from $10 to $100
as a giveaway to help commemorate
the event.
Though Rodarte did not
get a gift card, she was
more than happy her local
Aldi — she lives two
blocks away from the store
— was officially back in
Homer Glen.
“This is my favorite
store,” she said, adding
she tried traveling to other
already remodeled Aldi
stores while the Homer location
was closed, and that
she buys “everything” at
the grocer. “I love it.”
That enthusiasm was
on display everywhere,
as those who waited in
line for gift cards and the
store to open did so outside,
wrapped around the
Customers line up outside on Thursday, June 20, for the grand reopening and ribbon
cutting at the Aldi in Homer Glen. The first 100 people there that morning got gift
cards ranging in value from $10 to $100. Photos by Thomas Czaja/22nd Century Media
side of the building on a
gray morning featuring
some drizzle. Customers
throughout that day also
had a chance to register to
win free produce for a year.
With the Homer Glen
Aldi originally having
opened in 2003, it was time
for a remodel, according
to Aldi Dwight Division
Vice President Heather
Moore. She noted the entire
remodel process took
about 15 weeks, with the
business closed about five
weeks and reopening about
a week-and-a-half prior to
the grand reopening.
“First and foremost,
what the customer will really
notice is we are bigger,”
Moore said. “We
added about 2,700 square
feet to the sales floor, so
when we did that, it enabled
us to add a lot more
refrigeration.”
She estimated there being
about 300 new items in
the store with the remodel,
including a lot more organic
and fresh selections,
as well as on-the-go choices
for everyone’s busy
schedules.
“In addition to new
products and bigger sales
floor, it is an easier shop
— things are more spread
out,” Moore said. “In addition,
things customers may
not notice is it is more energy
efficient lighting, energy
efficient refrigeration,
kind of behind the scenes.”
While Aldi has long
been known for having
low prices, it is that affordability
mixed with quality
products that leads to success,
Moore said.
“What’s really sacred to
us is the quality of products,
so we have about
1,600 items in here all of
the highest quality possible,”
she said. “We take
that commitment very seriously.”
The Homer Glen remodel
is part of a much bigger
effort on the Chicagoland
and nationwide level. Aldi
has a $180 million investment
planned in Chicagoland
to remodel 130 stores,
which is part of a much
larger initiative with a
$1.9 billion investment for
remodeling 1,300 stores
across the country by the
end of 2020.
In addition, the company
plans to go from 1,900
to 2,500 stores across
the country by the end of
2022.
“Customers want different
things — they want
organic or healthy,” Moore
said. “The remodels are
really in response to what
they want.”
As a throng of customers
continued to make their
way into the store that
morning, many checked
out the produce section by
the front entrance before
moving elsewhere.
Shopper Brett Sutter,
of Lockport, said he was
already an Aldi customer
prior to the grand reopening
and decided to stop by
when hearing about the
gift card promotion.
“I got [a] $25 [gift
card],” Sutter said. I really
like the quality of food at
[Aldi]. The price is really
cheap, too, in comparison
to other big grocery
stores.”
Sutter shared some of
his favorite items to get
at Aldi are the produce,
including anything from
fruits, apples, oranges and
bananas, as well as wine
Village of Homer Glen, Heritage Corridor Business
Alliance and Aldi officials gather outside the remodeled
store for its official ribbon cutting.
The remodel at Aldi included the addition of about 300
new items in the store, including a number of organic,
fresh and on-the-go offerings.
and beer when they have
good deals on those products.
“We got here at 7:30
a.m.,” he said the morning
of the grand reopening.
“When we first got here,
there were not that many
people. As time got close
to opening, a lot more
showed up, so I’m glad we
got here when we did.”
Assisting shoppers like
Rodarte and Sutter while
busily running around
during the event was Jamie
Walsh, a manager at
the store who has been
with Aldi about four-anda-half
years. She called
the event “very exciting”
and hoped it would attract
new customers, as well as
the loyal base they have
built up over the years.
“It’s just a great experience
all around,” she said.
“The people are great, the
store is great.”
Moore agreed she hopes
everyone will come and
check out the new and improved
Aldi, from the following
it has amassed to
potential customers that
have yet to step inside.
“Homer Glen has always
been a great community
to be a part of,”
she said. “Just to be able
to continue that tradition
is really important for us.”
The Homer Glen Aldi is
open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Monday through Saturday
and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.
For more information,
visit aldi.com.