Here’s what you need to know about Aldi’s grocery store expansion in Swansea
Aldi shoppers will see a complete makeover of the grocery store in Swansea this year, but the store will be closed for several weeks during construction before the project is finished.
The store at 1708 N. Illinois St. is scheduled to temporarily close in late August and then reopen in October, according to a statement from Aldi.
Work has already started on the renovation, which will include the addition of a shopping aisle as part of a 3,000-square-foot building expansion and 51 additional parking spaces, according to Dallas Alley, the director of building and zoning for the village of Swansea.
The renovated building will have about 20,000 square feet and customers will see new exterior lighting and landscaping, Alley said.
Aldi declined to release the amount it is investing in the Swansea site but Alley said the project is valued at $2.5 million.
“It’s a great thing for the village of Swansea, not just in a sense of economy but a sense of community. Aldi has said they are committed to staying here in Swansea, providing for our residents,” Alley said.
“We’re going to see about a 15% increase in their sales right off the bat and we hope to see even more than that, potentially 20 to 25% increase in sales here at this store and Aldi’s is one of the major contributors to our retail sales tax.
The prepared statement from Aldi said the remodeled store “will offer improved layout with ample refrigeration to accommodate the recently expanded fresh and convenient food selection. The updated store will also feature open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally friendly building materials.”
The Swansea renovation is part of a $1.9 billion plan to remodel and expand over 1,300 stores nationwide.
Aldi, which is part of company based in Germany, opened a new store in Fairview Heights last year and remodeled a store in O’Fallon in 2017.
“I think the big thing, though, is all the people in this part of town, they’ve got a store that’s going to have a much larger selection, easier to get in and out of,” Alley said.
Bank of America ATM
Aldi has purchased the former Bank of America site adjacent to the grocery store and that will allow Aldi to increase the size of the store and the parking lot.
Although Bank of America has closed its lobby, the drive-thru ATM is open and Alley said it will remain open until a new ATM is built.
Demolition of the former drive-thru banking lanes has started. This where the new ATM will be located. Plans call for the former bank building to be torn down.
Aldi purchased the vacant Bank of America building at 10 North Belt West for $385,575, according to St. Clair County property records filed on Jan. 31.
Curbside service
Aldi recently started curbside service in the St. Louis area and five metro-east locations offer this feature.
Go to shop.aldi.us for more information.
Here the five Aldi stores in the metro-east that offer curbside grocery pickup service:
1635 W. U.S. Highway 50, O’Fallon
2822 Homer Adams Parkway, Alton
16 Cottonwood Road, Glen Carbon
399 Wesley Drive, Wood River
5925 N. Illinois St., Fairview Heights
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
