Aldi says it plans to open 150 stores this year. One of them could be in Bluffton
Discount grocer Aldi announced Tuesday it was planning to open 150 new stores this year, and the signs point to one of those being in Bluffton, though a specific timetable was not available.
A job listing posted on Aldi’s website and Indeed.com Feb. 4 is advertising for a full-time assistant store manager for an Aldi at 1131 Fording Island Road, Bluffton. The listing specifically notes that the job is at a new store.
Chris Ophardt, public information officer for Beaufort County, said Aldi and developer David Oliver received Design Review Board approval for facade changes to the store on June 7, 2018.
At the time, officials said they were pleased with Aldi’s proposal and approved it with a few minor changes. However, the approval expired when Aldi did not act within a year.
The previously approved drawings were resubmitted to county staff on Aug. 31, 2021, and were reapproved the following week, Ophardt said. Another round of minor changes submitted by an architect on the project were given a formal nod on Jan. 28.
Once Aldi gets a zoning permit, it will be clear to start construction.
A media request via phone and emails sent to Aldi were not immediately answered.
Bluffton site
The anchor location in the shopping center at U.S. 278, known as Fording Island Road in Bluffton, and Burnt Church Road has been vacant since construction in 2016 and 2017. Other stores in the center include Hobby Lobby, PGA Superstore and First Watch.
Oliver and his development company Jaz Bluffton LLC had announced in March 2016 that Fresh Market would be a tenant, and Fresh Market’s trademark green and white awnings were installed on the exterior. The interior of the store was not completed, and it never opened.
A lawsuit filed in May 2018 by the upscale grocery company indicated the two parties were in dispute over the lease agreement for the space.
On Tuesday, no construction was being done at the 21,000-square-foot store. The awnings remain on the exterior and signs on the doors say, “Retail space for lease.”
Aldi’s expansion
A news release from Aldi, a Batavia, Ill.-based discount grocer that started in Germany, says its newest location opening in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Thursday will be followed by 22 more stores throughout the Gulf Coast region by the end of the year. It also plans to open a 564,000-square-foot regional distribution center in Loxley, Alabama.
“In keeping with its tradition of aggressive growth, ALDI plans to open approximately 150 new stores and remains on track to become the third-largest U.S. grocery retailer by store count by the end of this year,” the news release says.
The news release does not mention South Carolina specifically.
The closest Aldi to Beaufort County opened in Pooler in October 2019.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 1:17 PM.
