The Friday Checkout is a weekly column providing more insight on the news, rounding up the announcements you may have missed and sharing what’s to come.
As it does every January, Aldi earlier this week released a dizzying roadmap for its growth in the year ahead. This includes opening over 180 stores — far more than any other grocer — along with adding new distribution centers, converting more former Southeastern Grocers’ stores and speeding into new markets like Colorado.
If the goal of these lofty and expansive plans is to shock and awe the rest of the industry, well, mission accomplished. Aldi is on track to have more than 3,000 locations by 2028, which would put it ahead of every food retailer in the U.S. not named Walmart.
But Aldi is doing more than just growing at a breakneck pace. It’s also amplifying its image as the place where you can not only save money, but have fun doing it. A recent Bloomberg story detailed the discounter’s growing number of superfans, or what the publication called “the curious cult of Aldi.” These shoppers stand in long lines in the freezing cold when new stores open, often clad in Aldi gear and toting custom signs. An unofficial Aldi subreddit has around 3000,000 members, far more than even high-flying grocers like H-E-B, Publix and Whole Foods Market.
How is Aldi cultivating so many superfans? It’s embracing its core identity and what sets it apart from other grocers, from its rotating deals on general merchandise to quirky features like its quarter-fueled shopping carts. As we chronicled last year, Aldi is amplifying all of this through social media and a revamped marketing approach.
Aldi’s breakneck expansion and growing fan base does, however, come with risks. As Bloomberg noted, the grocer’s stores can be messy and chaotic, and the subreddit devoted to it is filled with complaints as well as praise for its store brand products. As Aldi grows, it will need to make sure the state of its stores and assortment doesn’t contradict the narrative it’s so carefully cultivating.
In case you missed it
Wegmans offers bargain-priced meals
The grocery chain said Wednesday that it has updated its online recipes with new prepared meal options that cost as little as $2 per serving through its value-focused Hot Zone program. Each recipe features product swaps and a shopping list of ingredients.
Wegmans’ Hot Zone meals include slow-cooked chicken enchiladas, chicken stir fry with sesame garlic sauce, beef tacos, and sheet pan chipotle honey salmon and asparagus.
Kroger says eating creatively while saving money will be shoppers’ sweet spot this year
The supermarket chain predicts cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, products that pair yogurt and protein, and one-bite snacks will be among the top food trends of 2026. Citrus-based drinks and desserts, Asian-inspired combinations and restaurant-style meals are also likely to influence shopping patterns this year, Kroger said.
“The way our customers eat will be more dynamic than ever this year as they look to elevate everyday meals, snacks and treats with bold flavors, functional ingredients and culinary creativity, delivering a premium experience for less,” Ann Reed, the grocer’s group vice president of Our Brands, said in a Tuesday press release.
A2Z Cust2Mate launches retail media division
The smart cart supplier announced Tuesday that it has expanded its development, data analytics, sales, business and product teams to bolster its position in the retail media space. A2Z Cust2Mate said its technology-enabled carts will be able to help retailers and brands advertise to customers while they are in stores.
“Retail media represents a massive and rapidly expanding opportunity, and we believe the physical store is its next major frontier,” Gadi Graus, CEO of A2Z Cust2Mate, said in a statement.
Impulse find
These sheep were just following the herd. Then they spotted a grocery store.
Dozens of migrating sheep ditched hundreds of their comrades and corralled their way into a Penny discount grocery store in Burgsinn, Germany, earlier in January. The animals spent 20 minutes creating mayhem in the store — and “seemed particularly fond of the checkout area” — before workers drove them out by making loud sounds, The Guardian reported.
“Witnesses said that while the animals resisted the urge to nibble their way through the fresh produce on display, their foray into the store left a path of destruction in the drinks section as their bustling knocked glass bottles and other products from the shelves,” the news outlet reported.
The German embassy in London had a field day when it learned about the runaway animals’ mischief, bleating on X that the sheep “ram-paged through a German supermarket in rural Baa-varia, causing shear mania … before ewe-turning and seeing themselves out.”
50 runaway sheep ram-paged through a German supermarket in rural Baa-varia, causing shear mania on Monday morning.
— German Embassy London (@GermanEmbassy) January 7, 2026
After breaking away from their 500-strong herd, the brazen sheep spent 20mins milling around in the Penny supermarket before ewe-turning and seeing themselves out. pic.twitter.com/ZkdXvT7Jcb
