As the US commemorates its 250th year, Aldi is celebrating its 50th in the US by opening nearly 200 new stores across the country. In January, Aldi announced plans to open 180 new stores this year, bringing its store count to 2,800 and surpassing Kroger to become the second-largest grocery chain in the US. One of its latest openings is in Midtown Manhattan—a notoriously expensive neighborhood that lacks many discount chains like Walmart, Costco, or Dollar General that’ve been thriving as consumers increasingly seek out low-price grocers. With the store blocks from New York City’s bustling Times Square and Theater District and across the street from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Aldi is banking on business from tourists and locals alike at the store, Dan Gavin, VP of national real estate at Aldi USA, told Retail Brew. During a tour of the new location, Gavin and Scott Patton, chief commercial officer at Aldi USA, walked us through a few of the store’s unique features and the many ways Aldi has found to cut costs—and therefore, prices—in its stores. Keep reading here.—EC | 
