Aldi to open in Durham on midJanuary 2012

I used to post the Aldi specials, but have not lately since the store opening for Aldi in Southern Durham has been delayed. Slated to open late 2011, the opening got pushed back and the hoped for Christmas shopping at an Aldi store in Durham never took place much to my dismay. I trekked to the Cary store and loaded up in Gingerbread cookies, chocolates, stollen and other goodies to last me through December.

Based on a recent write up in the Durham Herald Sun, Aldi is now supposed to open near Southpoint Mall on 1/12/12. I certainly hope that there will not be another delay. While we do have a lot of grocery stores in the area, Aldi is unique because they offer pantry items regularly at very low prices. Food Lion, Kroger or Harris Teeter may beat Aldi with their specials, but sometimes you just need to buy a shelf-stable item and cannot wait around for a sale. Aldi is where I buy most of my items to keep my pantry stocked. The products from Aldi are good quality, reasonably prices and you know they have them in stock all the time. Needless to say, I will overcome my disappointment over the delayed opening and start driving to Aldi next year in Durham.

What many people may not realize, Aldi also has great prices on produce. At my last visit in the Cary Aldi, I was able to get a pineapple for less than $2, much lower priced than any other grocery store in the area. They also had tangerines on sale and lots of veggies at good prices. It may not be organic, but the quality is good and the prices can certainly compete with the other stores. I do have to admit that I long for the days when grapefruits were 25 cents at Aldi, but I doubt that these times will return. Once the Aldi in Durham is open, I will stop by on a regular basis and hope for the weekly specials, but also for reasonably priced and fresh produce. 

Until we get a farmers market to southern Durham, we have to settle for grocery store produce and Aldi is one more option. With its low prices, Aldi is a good option especially for people with fixed incomes who cannot afford to buy regularly priced produce at other grocery stores.