Gilmer County will soon have a new option for its grocery needs as an Aldi supermarket is slated to open in East Ellijay next week.
Aldi announced the store, located off Howard Simmons Road at 24 West Highlands Drive, will officially open Thursday, March 28, at 8:45 a.m.
Electricity has been up and running at the supermarket for several weeks now, alleviating the possibility of a delayed opening due to a shortage of three-phase transformers. In the last couple of weeks, shelving has been installed and shelf-stable merchandise stocked at the store, which will be among few Aldi locations in the north Georgia mountains. The company has more than 60 stores in the metro Atlanta region, but the closest locations to Gilmer are in Blairsville, Canton and Dalton.
The German company opened its first U.S. store in Iowa in 1976 and has greatly expanded its total number of stores in the states throughout the 2000s. Aldi is known for selling its exclusive store brands for less than name brands, while also promoting sustainable business practices like using more environmentally-friendly refrigeration systems and not using traditional plastic grocery bags.
“Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier. We’re excited to open our first store in East Ellijay and introduce local customers to a new, more affordable way of shopping,” said Shaun O’Keefe, vice president for Aldi’s Jefferson, Ga., region.
Some things that first-time customers should know — they are expected to bring their own bags or boxes for their groceries, and the bagging process is done by customers after they check out. Also, bring a quarter with you. The company’s shopping carts can only be used on a quarter (25 cents) deposit/return basis.
“Our cart quarter deposit system keeps our team from needing to wrangle carts in the parking lot. Shoppers need not worry, though. After returning their cart, they’re able to get their quarter back,” O’Keefe said.