Germany-based discount grocer Aldi has shuttered its store in Milwaukee’s Valhalla neighborhood after almost 30 years in business.
The store, located at 5235 N. 76th St., closed its doors late Sunday. Aldi built the 14,860-square-foot supermarket in 1992 and still owns the building, according to city records. Representatives of the company could not be immediately reached for comment.
According to a permit filed with the city, signage was posted to the building’s exterior Sunday with a message alerting shoppers of the closure. It also encourages customers to visit Aldi’s newer location about two miles southeast at 6700 W. Capitol Drive. That store opened in 2016.
On a fast track toward growth, Aldi currently operates 30 stores in the Milwaukee area. The retailer announced in September last year it will invest more than $34 million to remodel its Milwaukee area stores and $93 million to remodel its more than 50 stores across the state by the end of 2020.
The initiative is part of a $1.9 billion investment to update 1,300 stores nationwide over the next two years.
When asked about the recent closure, Department of City Development spokesperson Jeff Fleming said he was not aware of any contact Aldi made with the city before closing the store, but “competitive pressure” with other nearby stores such as Walmart and Pic ‘n Save, could be to blame, he said.
Milwaukee-based Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. recently completed a $2 million renovation project at the longtime Pic ‘n Save store at Milwaukee’s Midtown Center. Walmart operates a store at West Appleton Avenue and West Silver Spring Drive.
Fleming said the city has encouraged a number of food retail establishments to apply for grants and aid programs that would help those businesses open more stores throughout Milwaukee’s far west side.
