Aldi on Thursday makes its Southern California debut.
The company said it will open its first eight stores there Thursday, with approximately 17 more scheduled to open by mid-year and a total of 45 by year’s end — a key step in Aldi’s strategic plan to open 650 new stores across the U.S. over the next few years.
By the end of 2018 Aldi said it expects to operate nearly 2,000 stores nationwide — a 25% boost from the 1,500 U.S. locations it had at the end of 2015, which accounted for estimated sales of $11 billion.
A division of a German company with U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., Aldi has already opened a distribution center and district office in Moreno Valley, Calif.
The first eight stores will all be in the San Bernardino-Riverside marketing area, with locations in Beaumont, Fontana, Lake Elsinore, La Quinta, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, San Bernardino and Yucaipa.
The company will broaden its base between April and July with stores set for cities in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties.
Aldi said it plans to host three days of grand-opening events, with the first 100 shoppers at each store receiving a golden ticket redeemable for gift certificates in varying amounts. In addition, all shoppers will be eligible to enter an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win produce for a year, the company noted.

According to Gordon Nesbit, Moreno Valley division VP, “There is a strong appetite among Southern Californians for an alternative place to shop, and we are eager to show them the significant benefits that can come from shopping at Aldi.”
Aldi — which is controlled by the Albrecht family in Germany — opened its first stores in Germany in 1961 and expanded to the U.S. with stores in Iowa in 1976. (A separate branch of the Albrecht family owns Trader Joe’s.)
Stores generally cover 10,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet, with five aisles — each carrying about 1,500 items, more than 90 percent of which are private label.