New Aldi Food Market is Coming to Lower Ocean County

A new Aldi Food Market is coming to Ocean County.

The Barnegat Township Planning Board approved the supermarket during a meeting on Sept. 30, according to NJ.com.

No opening date has been set for the new 19,631-square-foot store.

The Aldi is planned for 10 Barnegat Blvd., on a vacant lot near the neighborhood Walgreens.

In 1976, the first American Aldi store opened in  Iowa. Today, Aldi has more than 2,400 stores in 38 states, employing over 45,000 people.

This will be the third Aldi in Ocean County. Aldi has locations in Forked River and Toms River. There are 64 Aldi stores in New Jersey.

Aldi's Different Way of Running a Supermarket

If you have never shopped in an Aldi store, you might not know about the differences between other grocery stores and Aldi.

Here are a few things that make Aldi different:

- Aldi carries mostly its own brands, which cost less than the national brands.

- Aldi offers a variety of healthier food options, including fresh produce, lean meats, and low-sodium items, organic, gluten-free, and vegan food.. 

- Aldi operates with a smaller store footprint with a simple layout. Many products are displayed in their original packaging to reduce costs.

- Most of the produce at Aldi is sold bagged. It's not the place to buy one onion.

- Aldi's doesn't accept coupons, doesn't have a rewards card, insists that shoppers bring their own bags ( which is already a thing for shoppers in New Jersey), and will charge you a refundable 25-cent deposit for a shopping cart.

 - The cashier will quickly total your groceries and put them in a cart. You can then roll the cart over to a separate counter to pack them up yourself before leaving.

- Cheese lovers rave about the cheese selection and the value packaging of cheese at Aldi.