Aldi, which is about 30% cheaper than Walmart, is growing rapidly. The chain has about 1,500 stores in the US with plans to add another 500 in the next couple of years. 365 by Whole Foods has three stores with plans to add 16 more in the next year.
Unlike 365, however, Aldi sells home goods like pillows and holiday decorations.
365 by Whole Foods, shown here, has the same setup with the produce section in the middle of the store and frozen and refrigerated items on the perimeter of the store. Both stores also have very limited signage.
Refrigerators line the store.
Digital displays and lit signs everywhere promise quality and freshness.
Like at 365 by Whole Foods, there's no deli at the Aldi store, but there are tons of packaged cheeses and meats to choose from.
Fruit, salad greens, and vegetables are available, as well as premade dips and soups.
At the new Aldi, there's a large refrigerated section devoted to produce.
It looks similar to this 365 by Whole Foods store in Los Angeles, which is about the same size as Aldi and also features metal, eye-level shelving fixtures and a centrally located produce section.
Like in other stores, most of the produce is sold in bulk packaging.
The produce area is much larger than in Aldi's other stores.
Spotlights in the new store help make the fresh produce section a central focus.
Permanent eye-level shelving fixtures are everywhere in the new store. In the older stores, shown below, many items are stacked on top of each other in cardboard boxes instead of placed on shelves.
But stepping inside, it feels much different. The lighting is softer and more natural, and the aisles are wider.
The new Aldi store looks similar to its older stores on the outside.
