Center Dallas Mall Outlet Shopping

Aldi to open new south-side store, close Wabash outlet

Aldi Foods expects to be in a new store on the south side of Springfield by the end of September, after 20 years on Wabash Avenue.

The new store at 3736 Octavus Drive, just north of the Wal-Mart supercenter on South Sixth Street, is nearing completion. The scheduled opening date is Sept. 22, said company spokeswoman Beth Dillon.

The Aldi’s at 1770 Wabash Ave. will close when the new store opens. The Wabash Avenue store, which opened in 1991, is in the Chatham Square shopping center. The Aldi’s at 1150 N. Fifth St. is not affected.

“It is a prototypical store for us, but it will be very different from the store on Wabash Avenue,” said Heather Moore, vice president of Aldi’s Dwight division, which covers stores from the Chicago suburbs to Springfield.

Moore said the store will have a more “open” format, including more natural lighting. Nine employees from the Wabash store are expected to make the move, and a few more employees could be added, according to the company.

At 10,000 square feet, the store is somewhat larger than the 8,000 square feet at the Wabash location.

The Springfield store is among 80 new outlets planned this year for the deep-discount grocer, which now has more than 1,100 locations in 31 states. Three of the new stores are in the Chicago market, and the company also just announced it has opened a Southwest division in Dallas-Fort Worth.

“We have done this in several markets where stores have been open a number of years,” said Moore. “It’s a combination of replacing existing stores and adding new stores.”

An analysis in Forbes Magazine this year described the Aldi strategy as trying to “out Wal-Mart Wal-Mart.”

The stores carry about 1,400 of the most frequently purchased groceries and household items — a limited number by superstore standards — and also specializes in generic and Aldi brands. Shoppers rent carts at the front door for 25 cents, which is refunded when the cart is returned.

Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags. Heavyweight paper bags are sold for 6 cents, plastic bags are 99 cents and reusable bags cost $1.99, according to the company website.

City economic development director Mike Farmer said Aldi contacted the city about the location off South Sixth Street about when Wal-Mart began planning for the supercenter that opened in 2008.

Outlets make city a travel destination | Travel News

We have a world-class art museum. We have the unique Higgins Armory Museum. We have a rich history that includes the American Antiquarian Society. We are home to the New England Science Center; the Centrum and the new IceCats. We are a hub of higher education – and we are nice people. You’d think that all this would make Worcester a good travel destination for travelers. Apparently, it’s not enough. With 13 million people living in a 100-mile radius of Worcester and having what may be the highest average household income of any region of the United States ($45,663), success seems a done deal, particularly since its opening nips at the heels of a revitalizing economy. The mix of stores includes several new to New England, among them Saks Clearinghouse and Barneys New York Outlet, and others such as Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld and the Ann Taylor Factory Store offering top-of-the-line, upscale fashion at deep discounts. “I’m on the road all the time,” he said, “marketing it, going to conventions – I just came back from the National Tour Association in Dallas.” He is dealing with organizations such as the National Association of Senior Travel Planners and the American Bus Association, small groups, and individual tour operators, because “it’s important that we deluge the market.” There is free bus parking along Worcester Center Boulevard, a bus operators’ lounge with cable television, lockers, and free meal vouchers for both driver and escort or tour leader. Restrooms are strategically located. There are convenient drop-off and pick-up points for bus passengers; step-on greeting and group assistance; special discount coupon booklets (called Worcester Common Fashion Outlet Common Sense Savings, which offer up to 25 percent off outlet prices, as well as food court incentives); shopping bags distributed to travel groups; and special group discount hotel, restaurant and theater packages. A typical package might include accommodations and two days visiting the outlets, dining locally and maybe taking in a Foothills theatrical performance. A Worcester resident who was formerly with Elite Enterprises/ Champagne Tours and later with Trans National Travel in Boston, Kenney said, “From Day One, certain companies have stepped forward and come forth,” fully committed to the outlet mall’s concept. He named the Marriott, The Publick House, Hampton Inns and Clarion Suites in particular.

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