Aldi headed to Dallas? Who is Aldi?

All accounts say that grocery chain Aldi is locating a store in Dallas – Oak Cliff to be exact.  The new store is said to be part of a shopping center that is coming up off I-20 near Wheatland and Hampton.  The retail center is anchored by a Target store that is expected to open in March.

Whenever I talk to people about this, the first thing they say is "what is Aldi?"  I never have a good answer, so I went to the company website and here's what I found.

(From the Aldi Website) 

• ALDI entered the U.S. market in 1976, with a handful of stores in southeastern Iowa. Now, more than 850 U.S. ALDI stores are spreading the savings from Kansas to the East Coast. In its 2007 report, Supermarket News ranked ALDI 24th in U.S. grocery chains in terms of gross sales—a considerable accomplishment given our limited assortment and low prices.

• We concentrate purchasing power, carrying only 1,300 or so of your most frequently purchased grocery and household items, nearly all under our own private labels. As a result, we get the lowest prices from our suppliers—and pass the savings on to you.

• We adhere to stringent quality standards. Every product we sell must match or exceed the leading national brand in taste, appearance, and/or performance. Our premium produce is shipped faster and smarter, so it comes to your table fresher and cheaper.

• Smarter shoppers know better than to pay extra at stores where baggers bag groceries and employees chase carts in the parking lot, or the cost of national brand marketing raises prices. They know where to buy private label brands that actually exceed the quality of national brands at a fraction of the cost.

  So smarter shoppers shop where select inventory increases buying power and lowers prices, saving them up to 50% over supermarket prices. That's a smart cartful whether you're a growing family, a working single, a senior on a fixed income, or a baby boomer socking it away for retirement.

Interesting concept they've got going here.  In light of recent talk about the lack of grocery stores in areas populated by African-Americans, Aldi would be a welcome addition.