Aldi plans to open its first store in Maine later this month as the German discount grocery chain marches ahead with its rapid expansion in the U.S.
The upcoming location in Portland —Maine’s most populous city — will mark the 40th state where Aldi has a retail presence when the store starts serving shoppers on March 26. Located at 1100 Brighton Ave., the store will occupy space that was formerly home to a Big Lots store, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Aldi, which currently operates more than 2,600 stores in 39 states and Washington, D.C., has a goal of running about 3,200 U.S. locations by the end of 2028. The company plans to open a store in Southfield, Michigan, on Thursday.
In January, Aldi said it expects to debut at least 180 locations this year, including 10 in Phoenix, a city that is central to Aldi’s efforts to deepen its presence in the western United States. Aldi also said that month that it expects to add three distribution centers by the end of 2029.
The chain opened over 175 stores in 2025, including its first stores in Las Vegas.
Aldi announced in March 2024 that it would invest more than $9 billion to finance its growth efforts. The retailer has also fueled its growth through the ongoing conversion of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores that it acquired through its 2024 purchase of Southeastern Grocers. Last February, the discounter announced that it sold about 170 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores and intended to convert 220 locations it retained into Aldi locations.
