Aldi to soon open $2.3M Republic store

Aldi Inc. is slated to cut the ribbon June 15 on its latest store in Republic. The opening is part of the Batavia, Illinois-based discount supermarket chain’s goal of 200 new stores by 2018, according to a news release.

The first Aldi store for the town west of Springfield, it is part of the chain’s new look with an emphasis on fresh produce, a bakery and organic products. Construction work tallied $2.3 million, according to the building permit on file with the city.

Last August, Aldi debuted its revamped concept to the Queen City through an overhaul at its 421 E. Battlefield Road store. The chain did $1.5 million in renovations, expanding the sales floor space by a third and adding a fifth shopping aisle, according Springfield Business Journal archives. Mark Bersted, an Aldi division vice president in Olathe, Kansas, said the remodeling plans came from input by customers encouraging a new look.

Elsewhere around the Ozarks, in December 2015, the chain opened its first Nixa store. Aldi also operates a north Springfield store and one each in Bolivar and Lebanon.

Aldi currently has more than 1,600 stores in 35 states nationwide, according to the release. By the end of 2018, it plans to occupy 2,000 locations and serve 45 million customers annually.

The over 12,500-square-foot Republic store will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:25 a.m. June 15, followed by a golden ticket giveaway for the first 100 customers, each containing Aldi gift cards of various amounts.