NORTHAMPTON — Local shoppers will have expanded grocery options next week with the planned opening of an Aldi store on King Street.
The supermarket is part of the Colvest Group’s continued redevelopment of a site that used to be occupied by the Bill Willard Inc. concrete plant, which was torn down in 2018. The store, scheduled to open March 30 at 8:30 a.m., is rising in back of the drive-thru Starbucks Coffee.
Aldi, originating in Germany, is a discount grocery store that touts its low prices, fresh, organic produce delivered daily and a wide range of food, in addition to curbside pickup and grocery delivery options. It sells mostly exclusive brands, according to information from the company, and offers a guarantee of satisfaction on all its products.
Shoppers will notice that they have to deposit a quarter to unlock a shopping cart. This is designed to save money, since the company doesn’t need to hire employees to corral loose carts. Customers get their quarter back when they return the cart. The store also asks shoppers to bring reusable bags.
Like most Aldi stores, the Northampton store will cover approximately 12,000 square feet of retail space, smaller than many grocery stores, according to the company. It expects to employ approximately 20 people.
Redevelopment of the 3-acre site at 303 King St. is continuing since Colvest bought it in 2018 for $2.25 million. The company took over the neighboring property at 325 King St., converting the 62,000-square-foot former supermarket there into what is now called Northampton Crossing. That development includes the Baystate Health & Wellness Center and a Greenfield Savings Bank.
Colvest also owns the parcel at 301 King St., the former home of Papa Gino’s restaurant, which closed in February 2017.
Carolyn Misch, the city’s director of planning and sustainability, said Colvest’s permit for the site required mitigation plans for traffic based on different potential uses. The company paid for redesigning the traffic signal at the entrance to the future Aldi lot, opposite Barrett Street, as well as widening the sidewalk and extending a bicycle lane, she said.
Misch said the city will review the impacts of the overall development when the Papa Gino’s site is developed. No plans have been submitted for that.
Aldi, which says it has opened 1,000 new stores in the U.S. in the last decade, opened a store on Route 9 in Hadley in 2010, and recently opened another in Westfield.
“Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we’ve been voted the price leader for six years running,” said Chris Daniels, regional vice president for Aldi in Connecticut, in a statement. “We’re excited to open our first Aldi store in Northampton and introduce local customers to a new, more affordable way of shopping.”
Normal store hours will be daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.