Valdosta Aldi store opening Sept. 7

Aug. 29—VALDOSTA — A German-based discount supermarket chain has announced the opening date of its new Valdosta store.

Aldi, which has more than 10,000 stores in 20 countries, will open its Valdosta site at 3285 Inner Perimeter Road on Sept. 7, according to a company statement released Tuesday.

Store hours will be 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

On opening day, the first 100 customers will receive a gift bag with Aldi products and a gift card, store representatives said. Shoppers will be able to enter a contest for a chance to win a $500 Aldi gift card during the grand opening weekend of Sept. 7-10, the company said.

Aldi was formed in 1946 in Essen, Germany. The store split into two operating groups, Aldi Nord (north) and Aldi Sud (South) in 1960. Aldi Sud operates stores under the Aldi name in the U.S., while Aldi North operates Trader Joe's shops. There are almost 2,000 stores under the Aldi name in the U.S., operating in 36 states.

"We're excited to open our first Aldi store in Valdosta and introduce local customers to a new, more affordable way of shopping," said Shaun O'Keefe, regional vice president for Aldi.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.