Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Hy Vee and Fairway Foods will soon have some extra competition in Sioux Falls.
The Sioux Falls Business Journal reports that Aldi Foods plans to have two locations up and running in town by the Fall of 2016. The German company has stores in nearly 40 states and 17 countries worldwide, but the Sioux Falls locations would be their first in South Dakota.
According to their web site the company takes pride in their private label products and unique cost-cutting practices. Examples include a shopping cart deposit, which has customers rent a cart for a quarter, which is returned to them when the cart is returned to its area. Aldi says this keeps employees from having to spend time retrieving the cards in the parking lot. The story also does not accept credit cards (to avoid processing fees) instead; debit cards, cash, and EBT cards are welcome. Stores are also not open 24 hours to keep overhead costs down.
As far as products go, very few national brands are found in their stores. The stores also don't have as many specialty departments or offer customers plastic bags for their items. Instead, customers are encouraged to bring reusable cloth bags to the store.
One Sioux Falls location is set to open in the old Big Lots building on S Louise, the second will open later this summer on East Arrowhead Parkway. Exact opening dates are unclear at this time.