WHITEHALL — The Whitehall Aldi store celebrated its grand opening last Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and giveaways to the first 100 shoppers in line.
To be one of those first 100, local shoppers had to earn it; the line for the new store was already filling up multiple hours prior to the 9 a.m. opening, and by the time the ribbon cutting took place, hundreds were in a line that stretched beyond the Big John's Pizza premises of the Colby Street plaza.
Prior to the grand opening, the store had a soft opening Wednesday, Oct. 29, enabling local residents to get a first look at the store.
It was an opening over a year in the making; the Whitehall Township planning commission approved a site plan for the store, which previously housed Plumb's and Great Lakes Fresh Market, in August 2024. At the time, Erik Allore, a representative of the civil engineering firm that worked with Aldi, hoped the store would be open in "approximately a year."
The enthusiasm was obvious for the new store, which gives shoppers another grocery option in the White Lake area to go with Montague Foods and Walmart, the latter of which opened in 2017.
Aldi staffers assemble for the ribbon cutting that marked the store's grand opening last Thursday morning. The store had a soft opening the day before and is now serving customers.
"We were excited to see the fan base grow in Whitehall as we continue our nationwide expansion," said Ryan Fritsch, Aldi regional vice president, in an email. "Aldi shoppers’ loyalty and passion is truly unmatched, and our fan community is a huge part of what sets us apart from other stores. Our shoppers’ loyalty, eagerness and support have helped us become one of the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S."
Though the line was long, local residents reported that once it began to move after the ribbon-cutting, things went pretty smoothly.
"From standing in line to shopping to getting out was a total of one hour," said local resident Kristan Hall on Facebook. "I love Aldi so I'm excited to have one close to home."
Aldi store management politely said they were not permitted to give comments to the press Monday, directing the Mirror to the company's public relations team.
Fritsch said via email that the company looks forward to receiving public feedback about the store. Those who would like to submit feedback may do so on the Internet at help.aldi.us/contact-form-other.
"We can't wait to hear about shopper experiences and their favorite Aldi Finds," Fritsch said. "We are looking forward to hearing from customers firsthand."
