San Francisco is a world-famous destination because of its stunning bay views, iconic bridges, and exorbitant cost of living.
In fact, according to current data, San Francisco’s average rent is higher than New York City’s, which is a real estate nightmare.
Is it possible to keep utility costs like groceries low in San Francisco and northern California if everyone isn’t a millionaire?
Unfortunately, Aldi, the German discount supermarket, has yet to lend a hand. Is Aldi planning to open a store in San Francisco or the surrounding area? Onwards!
Is Aldi planning to open a store in San Francisco or the surrounding area in 2022?
According to Aldi’s announced plans for 2022, there will be no Aldi stores in San Francisco or Northern California. Torrence near Los Angeles was where a new store did open. Aldi’s expansion along the Gulf Coast is on track, with a focus on Florida and Alabama.
We’ve compiled a list of all the reasons why Aldi won’t be opening a store in San Francisco, as well as a list of alternatives for budget-conscious shoppers.
Why Doesn’t Aldi Expand to Northern California or San Francisco?
Aldi has chosen to expand outside of California’s Golden State and the San Francisco Bay Area.
While we can’t see Aldi’s planning process, we can rest assured that the company has a team of marketing experts analyzing everything from population density to the competitiveness of the discount grocery market to possible building sites.
With less than 2,000 stores in the US at the time, Aldi was clearly aware of the demand for more.
With the new distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, in winter 2021, they would focus on two things: building new stores in California, Arizona, and especially Florida and the Gulf Coast region; and renovating existing stores in the Northeast region.
Moreno Valley (outside San Bernardino) was Aldi’s first cluster of stores in California in 2016, and the company’s expansion plans kept the new stores clustered in Southern California rather than moving into the northern part of the huge state.
So, who knows what cities or states Aldi will expand to after 2022? The company hasn’t shared their plans yet, so it’s impossible to say for sure.
Where might Aldi stores be if it opened in San Francisco or Northern California?
It’s obvious that Aldi wants to open its first NorCal stores in San Francisco, but the city has a lot of people, so finding enough real estate might be difficult.
Aldi stores can also be found in Modesto, San Jose, and Redding, as well as in Sacramento.
Consider the fact that California is located close to a number of large non-Aldi states, such as Nevada and Oregon, which would benefit from having a presence in the region.
As a result, having an Aldi in Northern California would be beneficial not only to residents of the state, but also to residents of neighboring states that currently lack an Aldi.
Where is the nearest Aldi to San Francisco and Northern California?
It’s only 160 miles from San Francisco to the Fresno, CA Aldi, compared with the nearly 500-mile drive for Seattle residents to an Aldi.
It’s not the ideal situation, but it’s doable as a daytrip.
What Alternatives Exist to Aldi in San Francisco and Northern California?
Bay Area shoppers looking for a break from retail may want to check out Raley’s, Safeway, or Lucky Supermarket.
To keep large families fed on a budget, Costco and WinCo Foods are also located in Northern California, which offer more of a warehouse experience but still have an excellent selection.
Related posts about Aldi can be found here: if Aldi is coming to Salt Lake City or Utah, or if it is coming to Seattle or Washington and Las Vegas or Nevada, respectively.
Bottom Line
A two- to three-hour drive from San Francisco and the rest of Northern California will get you to Aldi’s discount supermarkets.
Even if Aldi doesn’t open a store in Northern California, we’ll all be waiting with bated breath for any future announcements about Aldi’s plans to expand beyond 2022.
