The grocery store ALDI is entering the next phase of its five-year growth strategy by intending to open more than 225 new stores in the United States. This marks the most stores the retailer has ever opened in a year. 

The retailer announced the new stores will open through a combination of organic growth and converting select Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores to the ALDI format. The announcement came after ALDI closed a transaction to divest approximately 170 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores that are not part of the ALDI conversion plan to a consortium including C&S Wholesale Grocers, Southeastern Grocers senior leadership and private investors.

ALDI said this will allow the grocery store "to create a focused conversion portfolio in the Southeast as it progresses its expansion plans across the country."

In addition to the store expansion to the Southeast, ALDI will add new stores in the Northeast, Midwest, and the West, and enter new communities, like Las Vegas.

Approximately 100 converted Southeastern Grocers locations are set to re-open as ALDI stores by the end of 2025. Last year, the grocer opened a little over 100 stores, solidifying its position as the third-largest grocery chain by store count in the U.S.