Utah, and its capital of Salt Lake City, is known for amazing skiing, gorgeous national parks (like Zion), and its large Mormon population. Nestled between Nevada and Colorado, it’s also one of the “Four Corners” states.
What Utah and Salt Lake City don’t have, however, are Aldi stores. So you might be wondering if Aldi has any plans to open in the state, and you might naturally assume that if they did, they would start in the capital. Let’s examine this matter further below.
Is Aldi Coming To Utah Or Salt Lake City?
Aldi currently has no plans to open stores in Utah or its capital, Salt Lake City. The German supermarket chain has increased its presence steadily in the U.S. but is currently focusing on stores in the Gulf Coast region and renovations in the Northeast.
To hear some theories about why Aldi might not be coming to Utah or Salt Lake City any time soon, where stores could go if they decided to, and what people are doing to hasten Aldi’s arrival in the Beehive state, keep reading!
Why Isn’t Aldi Coming To Utah Or Salt Lake City?
Rather than turn its sights on Utah and Salt Lake City, Aldi is focusing their expansion on the Gulf Coast region, with states like Florida and Louisiana seeing the most building action.
Aldi hardly does anything without planning well in advance, and their current U.S. expansion is no exception.
As far back as 2017, Aldi had announced they would be opening 700 more stores by 2022, for a grand total of 2,500; they hit the 2,000-store mark in 2020, running a bit behind schedule because of the pandemic but staying the course.
Aldi is also building a distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, to service the Gulf Coast region and support the new stores opening there.
None of this precludes an expansion into the state of Utah, but it just happens that Aldi’s attentions are focused elsewhere in the U.S. for now and the foreseeable future.
What Are Locations In Utah Or Salt Lake City Would Aldi Open In?
Covetous Aldi fans in Utah have many suggestions for Aldi should they decide to start opening stores there.
“Could Aldi open stores in Utah? Kearns, Riverton, Salt Lake, Ogden, Oram, West Valley, Sandy, Draper, Bluff Dale, Lehi, Provo, American Fork, Spanish Fork this would be excellent (sic),” one fan on Facebook wrote.
Another even had a specific location in mind in Salt Lake City: “Please come to the Salt Lake area! There is a great vacant corner store/property at 3300 South and 1300 East near the famous Brickyard Shopping Center and the big Harmons grocery store!”
What Is The Nearest Aldi Location To Utah?
Since Aldi expanded into Arizona, the closest location to Utah is the Peoria, AZ, store, about 400 miles one-way.
For a while, the closest Aldi store to the state of Utah was the Hesperia, California, location, some 484 miles away.
While 100 miles is a lot closer, it’s still way too far for many, not even feasible as a day trip.
What Is Being Done To Bring Aldi To Utah Or Salt Lake City?
While Aldi hopefuls in Utah beg the chain on their Facebook page to come to their state (one lamented, “I saw an Aldi commercial on TV today, and I was like wow Aldi has finally come to Utah!! But, that was a lie…” a fan on Reddit decided to take concrete action.
In 2019 they started a petition to bring Aldi to Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, they only received 65 signatures.
Where Can Shoppers Go Other Than Aldi In Utah Or Salt Lake City?
Utah and Salt Lake City are not without their grocery options, though.
Trader Joe’s has been in Salt Lake City since 2012, with three stores currently operating.
WinCo Foods is another option, like a warehouse feel (think Sam’s Club or Costco), with five locations throughout Utah.
If you are looking to learn more about Aldi, you might also be interested in reading up on whether or not is Aldi coming to San Francisco or Nothern California, if Aldi is coming to Seattle or Washington, and if Aldi is coming to Colorado.
Conclusion
While Aldi has no plans to open in Utah or Salt Lake City, there can be no doubt that it is only a matter of time. It might take some years, but I would be incredibly surprised if Aldi didn’t end up in all 50 states eventually.
