Aldi update: First eight California stores opening March 24

Aldi will open 45 stores in California in 2016. California stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Sunday.
One of the store's private label brands is called Millville. Expect to see a lot of it. Aldi sells private-label copycats of the 1,300 most frequently bought national brands. In many cases, the packaging is nearly identical to the name brand, as shown in this packaging by their "cereal." The Honey Nut Cheerios brand vs. the knockoff Honey Nut Crispy Oats.
Aldi products have multiple barcodes on them to make them easier to scan.
Simply Nature food items from Aldi.
Though it's not a restaurant, Aldi is a force that can't be ignored in our food watch list. The German-run chain, with ties to Trader Joe's, launches its coast-to-coast expansion in March. Stores in Buena Park, Fountain Valley and Anaheim are part of the first wave of 25 Aldi locations opening in the region through July.
Bring a quarter if you want a shopping cart. Aldi requires shoppers pay a 25 cent refundable deposit for a cart.
The first 25 Aldi stores will open between March and July 2016. On Tuesday, Aldi said the first eight stores will open in the Inland Empire on March 24. Shown: The Fountain Valley store.

By Nancy Luna | nluna@scng.com | Orange County Register

February 24, 2016 at 6:40 a.m.

The wait is almost over for bargain-hunting Southern California shoppers.

Extreme discounter Aldi – which is expected to shake up the local supermarket scene – said it would open its first eight California locations March 24.

None of the three stores planned for Orange County are among the initial openings, which are slated for Beaumont, Fontana, La Quinta, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, San Bernardino and Yucaipa.

The chain, whose 1,400 stores are concentrated in 32 East Coast, Midwest and Southern states, said its first 25 California stores would open between March and July. Overall, Aldi plans to open 45 stores in California this year. Orange County stores will be in Fountain Valley, Buena Park and Anaheim. The company declined to say when they will open.

Aldi, which has family ties to Trader Joe’s, claims to save shoppers up to 50 percent on their grocery bills by selling knockoffs of the 1,300 most frequently bought national brands. The company stands by its knockoffs and offers a “double guarantee,” which replaces the product and refunds customers’ money if they are not completely satisfied.

Gordon Nesbit, a Moreno Valley division vice president with Aldi, said there’s “a strong appetite among Southern Californians for an alternative place to shop.”

“We are eager to show them the significant benefits that can come from shopping at Aldi, both for their wallets and lifestyles,” he said in a statement.

Stores are small and similar in size to Fresh & Easy. After the cash-only checkout, shoppers shift to a long counter to bag their groceries. The company says the checkout strategy keeps the lines at the registers moving.

Aldi requires shoppers to pay a 25-cent refundable deposit for a cart. Customers must bring their own bags or buy store-brand reusable bags. Aldi is testing a credit card program that, if successful, would be rolled out to all stores.

The grand openings at each store will be held over three days, starting at 8:45 a.m. March 24. California stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.