A discount grocery store is moving full speed ahead with its newest location on James Island. Aldi , first opened in Germany in 1961, confirmed this week that it will be replacing the former Bi-Lo supermarket at 865 Folly Road. Discount grocery store Aldi plans to make its home in part of the former Bi-Lo supermarket building on James Island.
Krysta Cearley , divisional vice president, told The Post and Courier that the goal is for the store to open by the end of the year barring unexpected circumstances. When it came to choosing a new Lowcountry store location, Cearley said Aldi considered a number of factors. “Bottom line, we look for convenient locations for our customers that can support high traffic volume daily,” she said.
The James Island store will be the chain’s 7th in the Charleston area. Aldi plans to lease 22,000 square feet of the roughly 40,000 square feet of empty space in the former Bi-Lo supermarket space, according to Mark Hoffman , director of development for New Jersey-based Garden Communities , which has owned the 4.5-acre retail center since 1994.
In May 2023 , the company leased several acres at U.S. Highway 17 and KOA Campground Road for a second Mount Pleasant location–sixth overall.
Aldi signed a land lease with property owner Oakland Associates LP for 20 years with the option to renew up to 25 years. Aldi, which has a U.S.
headquarters in Illinois, operates more than 2,000 stores across 36 states. Hotel Bennett in downtown Charleston is addi.