PORTLAND — Maine’s first Aldi grocery store will be opening in Portland on Thursday.
The national grocery chain is opening at a rapid pace across the country, with Maine being the 40th state in which one has opened. The Portland store is one of more than 180 stores that the chain is opening this year.
The growth is due, in part, to its low prices — American consumers are worried about inflation, tariffs and high grocery prices, said Chris Daniels, regional ALDI vice president. He said on average, a family of four can save about 36% on their grocery bill when shopping at Aldi.
“I mean, who doesn’t want to save right now, right?” Daniels said.
The store will feature Aldi’s quarter-cart system, where customers must insert a quarter into a shopping cart to unlock it, then return it to receive their quarter back. It will also have customers bring their own bags and bag their own groceries.
“We only carry about 2,100 items in our store,” Daniels said. “Our stores are smaller, we’re open limited hours, we do things that are a little bit different, but all that does is pass on savings to the customer.”
The store is located at 1100 Brighton Ave., and will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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