The city of Beaufort announced on Thursday that ALDI plans to build a new 21,000 square foot grocery store at the new Beaufort Station shopping center, joining other retailers Hobby Lobby, Old Navy, Ulta Beauty and Ross Dress for Less.
Beaufort Station is at the southwest corner of Robert Smalls Parkway and Parris Island Gateway, which is currently a large wooded lot across from the WalMart Supercenter.
ALDI is coming to Beaufort as part of its plan to add 150 new grocery stores in 2022, expanding its brand to become the 3rd largest U.S. grocery retailer by store count.
“There’s nothing like watching shoppers discover ALDI for the first time,” ALDI U.S. CEO Jason Hart said in a statement. “We can’t wait to share that experience with more customers as we add new stores across the Southeast.”
ALDI is also opening a new 564,000-square-foot regional distribution center in Loxley, Alabama later this year, which will serve the needs of its Beaufort location when it opens.
Beaufort Station is being developed by The Morgan Companies, which specializes in commercial real estate. Work on the 31-acre site is expected to begin this quarter, according to the developer.
“Beaufort is a beautiful community, and growing, but underserved in retail,” said Jeff Surrency, executive vice president of development at The Morgan Companies. He estimated that the site work would take eight to nine months.
The main shopping plaza will feature nine anchor tenants, he said. Three outbuildings, which will feature restaurants, are also planned, offering an additional 32,000 square feet, Surrency added.
“The growth story in Beaufort, and the South Carolina Lowcountry in general, is just phenomenal,” said Morgan President Trey Morgan. “We are thrilled to bring a top tier tenant lineup to Beaufort, and we’re confident the community will be proud of the project when it is completed.”
