German discount retailer Aldi is looking to expand its business in all parts of the US market, not just low-income areas, according to a report published by the Des Moines Register.
Quoting a senior executive, the newspaper said Aldi was looking to add 'up to 80 stores per year' in the country and planned to enter California in the near future.
The news, first flagged by the Fresh & Easy Buzz blog back in June 2012, represents the grocer's first official confirmation that the Golden State is on Aldi's radar.
Crucially, it appears the company is no longer only targeting specific parts of the market, and intends to take its claim to save shoppers 'up to 50 per cent' on fresh produce to as many new areas of the country as possible.
'Twenty years ago, Aldi’s target areas were lower-income neighborhoods,” commented Matt Lilla, division vice-president at Aldi's office and distribution centre in Faribault, Minnesota. 'At this point, there is no specific income target.'
Aldi currently operates over 1,200 stores in 32 states in the US, most of them located in the region between Kansas and the East Coast.
As in other markets, it sells more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands which it says must meet or exceed the national name brands on taste and quality.
