Maine Likely to See Its First Aldi Grocery Stores Soon

It isn't exactly breaking news to say Americans have been spending more money at the grocery store than ever before. Prices on everyday items have risen steadily in recent years, and it's left people across the country trying to find different options.

In Maine, there's only a handful of options for people to fill their grocery basket. Hannaford remains the most prominent grocery chain in the state, with others like Shaw's, Market Basket, and Save-A-Lot operating multiple locations as well.

But another option is likely on the way. And it will likely be quite tantalizing to those looking to save some money while still stocking the pantry and refrigerator.

According to Quartz, the discount grocery store chain Aldi is set to invest more than $9 billion opening hundreds of new stores across the country. One of the company's points of focus is the Northeast, where it plans to open as many as 100 new locations in the next four years.

That likely means Maine is in line to get their first Aldi and probably many more. One of the key components of Aldi's aggressive expansion will be store conversions. They'll be taking old grocery stores, pharmacies, and anything similar, and quickly transitioning them into Aldi locations.

Aldi has an incredible reputation worldwide. They've managed to keep their prices lower than other grocery chains because they distribute the majority of the products in their stores themselves. Shoppers in other states have claimed to save as much as $100 per week, buying essentially the same items at Aldi versus another store.

It will be interesting to see which of Maine's cities Aldi chooses first. Portland is teeming with multiple grocery options now, from Hannaford to Whole Foods to Trader Joe's. But other cities like Lewiston and Augusta may be ripe for a new discount grocery option.

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The German-based grocery chain plans to announce where and when their expansion in the Northeast will begin in the coming weeks and months.