Aldi will open its newest supermarket Thursday in a Southside Jacksonville neighborhood where gas station convenience stores outnumber groceries by a wide margin.
The grocery at 3650 Philips Highway at Emerson Street is part of the nationwide grocery chain s expansion plan to become the third-largest United States grocery retailer as determined by store count by the end of 2022.
Aldi is one of America’s fastest-growing retailers with more than 2,000 stores across 37 states. It serves millions of customers across the country each month, according to the company.
The Philips Highway store will be the 14th in North Florida including eight in Jacksonville, one each in Orange Park, Middleburg, St. Augustine and Lake City, and two in Gainesville, company listings show.
Aldi said it intends to open its discount grocery store at Philips Highway and Emerson Street in early 2021.
It will be the chain’s eighth store in Jacksonville and 12th in the area since opening its first in 2014 in St. Augustine.
Aldi opened its first Jacksonville store in 2015 in Southside Square and remodeled it in 2018.
“We look forward to continuing to provide residents the best grocery shopping experience,” said Matt Thon, Haines City division vice president for Aldi, in an emailed statement Dec. 21.
Aldi was built at the former site of a Wells Fargo bank branch at Philips Highway and Emerson Street .