Is Aldi coming to Seattle or Washington State? (plans, potential locations and more)
Seattle is one of America’s most famous cities, home to Starbucks, rock music and retail giant Amazon, yet its residents live 49 percent more expensive than the national average.
Obviously, the cost of living in Seattle and Washington state is high.
A big discount grocery chain could help lower the cost of living in this trendy Pacific Northwest, but does Aldi have plans to come to Seattle or Washington state? Read on to find out!
Is Aldi coming to Seattle or Washington State?
Aldi doesn’t have any plans to open stores in Seattle or Washington state. The German supermarket chain is expanding its presence in the U.S. Southwest and Gulf Coast, while spending money on store renovations in the Northeast.
Why isn’t Aldi coming to this hot spot in the US? If they do come, where might Aldi set up shop? Where can Washingtonians get cheaper groceries until Aldi finally (hopefully) gets its act together? See all the answers below!
Why isn’t Aldi coming to Seattle or Washington state?
Aldi is currently focusing their buildings mostly in the Southwest (they just opened their fourth store in Arizona), especially on the Gulf Coast and Florida.
Additionally, Aldi has begun building a new distribution center in Loxley, Alabama to facilitate the flow of goods throughout the Gulf Coast. This ties in with Aldi’s entry into its 38th US state in Louisiana.
The chain has also undergone a series of store renovations, updating interiors and layouts across the Northeast.
I wonder why Aldi might focus on the Gulf Coast rather than a state like Washington, whose main hub is Seattle. I think it may have something to do with the population density at this time.
Washington state has a population density of 106.3 people per square mile, which sounds like a lot, but Florida, which Aldi is focusing on, has a population density of 397.2 people per square mile – almost four times higher!
I’d be surprised if this doesn’t affect Aldi’s expansion plans in some way.
Where might Aldi open stores in Seattle or Washington State?
Potential Aldi fans and those forced to move from Aldi-rich states to Aldi-poor states like Washington have visited the Aldi USA Facebook page and have ideas about where the stores should go.
One recurring city was Spokane, which was mentioned several times in one thread.
One enterprising reviewer even scouted a location for them in Renton, WA: “…here’s a lot of space for your store; there’s an old Albertsons in the Fairwood area that’s closed; to bring such a great company to the This area is really nice!”
Another commenter described the state’s most populous city more specifically, “West Seattle needs an Aldi.”
So if/when Aldi decides to come to Washington State, they can choose a city that welcomes them with open arms.
What’s the closest Aldi store to Washington State?
Residents of Washington state have been really unlucky when shopping at Aldi; the closest one is in Clovis, CA, about 750 miles away. Ouch.
Where can shoppers buy groceries instead of Aldi in Washington state?
Despite the high cost of living in the Seattle area, Washingtonians often have options for finding comparable grocery prices.
For example, distant cousin Trader Joe’s has 18 stores in Washington, from the capital Olympia to Seattle to Spokane.
The state is also dotted with WinCo Foods stores, an employee-owned warehouse-style shopping experience with low prices on groceries.
Finally, the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is a great option with very low prices on near-expired or discontinued food items.
If you want to read more about Aldi, you can also check out our related articles on Is Aldi Coming to New Zealand, Is Aldi Coming to Colorado, and Is Aldi Coming to Canada.
in conclusion
Aldi isn’t planning on coming to Seattle or Washington state anytime soon, but that shouldn’t frustrate anyone.
There’s no doubt that Aldi will eventually be in all 50 states, and in the meantime, Washingtonians seem to have plenty of other supermarkets to choose from.
