Is Aldi Coming To Canada In 2022? (Plans + Potential Locations)

Costco Wholesale Corporation
Costco’s logo since 1997
Company headquarters in Issaquah, Washington (since 1994)
Type	Public
Traded as	Nasdaq : COST NASDAQ-100 Component S&P 100 Component S&P 500 Component
Industry	Retail
Predecessor	Price Club
Founded	July 12, 1976 ; 45 years ago ( 1976-07-12 ) (as Price Club) San Diego, California , U.S. September 15, 1983 ; 38 years ago ( 1983-09-15 ) (as Costco) Seattle, Washington , U.S.
Founders	James Sinegal Jeffrey Brotman Sol Price Robert Price
Headquarters	Issaquah, Washington , U.S.
Number of locations	804 ^[1] (2021)
Area served	Australia Canada China France Iceland Japan Mexico New Zealand South Korea Spain Taiwan United Kingdom United States
Key people	Hamilton E. James (Chairman) W. Craig Jelinek (President and CEO)
Brands	Kirkland Signature
Services	Merchandise Cash & Carry Warehouse club Filling stations
Revenue	US$166.76 billion ^[2] (2020)
Operating income	US$6.023 billion ^[2] (2020)
Net income	US$4.002 billion ^[2] (2020)
Total assets	US$45.40 billion ^[2] (2019)
Total equity	US$15.24 billion ^[2] (2019)
Members	105.5 million ^[3] (2020)
Number of employees	273,000 ^[3] (2020)
Website	www .costco .com

Expansion of grocery stores into new countries is difficult. However, many chain restaurants are not ready for it.

Aldi, the German-based supermarket chain has long been pushing its boundaries beyond home. In fact, it first set foot in North America in 1973. But, even though they have over 2000 U.S. stores, Canada is still unpopulated with their discount goods.

Aldi could be heading to Canada very soon. Given the steady expansion of Aldi’s U.S. business, you might be surprised at the answer.

Is Aldi Coming To Canada In 2022?

Aldi will not be coming to Canada as of 2022. While many market experts predict the move is inevitable, so far the company has made no visible moves toward expanding to Canada, nor released any statements concerning the prospect.

You’re probably wondering why they aren’t coming to the Great White North, whether public opinion desires Aldi in Canada or whether there is even room in the market for the chain – so keep reading, because I’ve got all the answers you need.

Aldi Is Coming To Canada!

Aldi is seemingly determined to take over the American discount markets and ignored Canadians for various reasons.

Aldi’s business model centers around the low cost of everyday foods, which keeps everyone’s homes and pantries stocked.

The prices compare well in the U.S., especially versus smaller regional chains, as Aldi can stay competitive within their price ranges.

Canada is home to 40% of Canada’s groceries, with budget/discount shopping being the best option.

American shoppers go to Aldi, and are often impressed by the bargains, but Canadians will be more difficult to please.

Geopolitics is another reason Aldi has not yet come to Canada, and doesn’t seem inclined to do so. According to CanadianGrocer.com, there is a “lack of reasonably-priced real estate.”

Aldi takes its store placement very seriously, even laying out some of the core requirements it looks for when scouting new locations via their website.

Aldi’s dedication to keeping operations costs low (to transfer the savings to shoppers), makes it impossible to envision Aldi digging into its pockets to support a marketplace where there is no guarantee of their success.

Aldi is also following the footsteps of Lidl (or at least their European rival), when it comes to sourcing employees. Lidl actually even went so far as to set up tentative headquarters in Mississauga (outside of Toronto), hire employees and research site possibilities.

Lidl stopped working on the plans, shut down their office, and fired everyone who was employed. A few years later Lidl opened the first American store. The story might serve as something of a cautionary tale for Aldi.

Do Shoppers Want Or Even Need Aldi In Canada?

The Aldi hype factory is so good that even if Canadians don’t really need Aldi stores in their already discount-focused country, they do indeed want them.

One shopper in the Aldi Aisle of Shame Facebook Community even commented that she normally visits Aldi stores in the U.S. (despite being from Canada), but couldn’t due to the coronavirus closing the borders. This was all she did for Aldi.

Reddit users described themselves as “Desperately Waiting for It [Aldi] To Come to Canada.”

This is likely where Aldi Finds come into play. No doubt Canadians can find cheap flour or cereal or frozen veggies, but Aldi Finds like character pet beds, inflatable outdoor seating or exercise bikes – at crazy-low Aldi prices – would still draw shoppers.

Canada: Where could Aldi build stores?

Aldi might start by exploring the larger Canadian cities of Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. Their combined population is 10.5 million. Canada’s population density being what it is, Aldi would likely stick to bigger cities and urban centers, especially at first.

For the record, Canada has a population density of four per square kilometer; 36 in the United States.

You can read our posts to learn more about Aldi’s expansion to Las Vegas and if Aldi will be coming to Colorado.

Conclusion

Aldi is not coming to Canada in the near future, and they have shown no signs of preparing to do so.

Aldi will need to travel to another country to be successful, particularly to Canada where there are many discount stores. However, it is possible.

.Is Aldi Coming To Canada In 2022? (Plans + Potential Locations)