by Ashley Duncan–Aldi, a high-quality grocery store with low prices, opened its doors in Sioux City January 15. Many people were excited to hear of its opening, especially international students on Morningside’s campus.
Rena Ketelsen, from Germany, and Emily Rotthaler, from Austria, expressed their excitement about the store. Emily, unable to contain herself, said, “They have German chocolate!” While Rena reminisced in nostalgia. “It is a little bit of home you can experience here.”
Aldi is traditionally a German store, created in Germany by two brothers after taking over their mother’s store. The store has since spread to 20 countries. In the U.S. alone, there are 2,000 stores, with the very first one starting in Iowa in 1976.
Why is Aldi so popular? It offers many different foods from all over the place, at a low cost. This not only makes it affordable for people with low incomes, or no jobs due to COVID, but also for college students.
Unlike other stores, Aldi does require an entrance fee. To be able to take a cart a person must insert a quarter to unlock it from the other carts. Once the person is done shopping and puts the cart back where it belongs, the quarter is returned.
One other difference is that shoppers have to bring their own bags to take home groceries. Aldi does not provide paper or plastic bags, which makes their store eco-friendly. This may seem like it might offer fewer jobs but in reality, without baggers, more lanes can be opened for people to check out.
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