“As a company, we are going through all of our stores and improving them,” Shaw said.

Some of the improvements at the Fort Dodge store, 2736 First Ave. S., will include an open ceiling, more efficient lighting, wider aisles, new refrigeration, and more fresh produce.

“We think our customers are really going to like it,” Shaw said.

The Fort Dodge store will be about 20 to 25 percent larger than it was before, Shaw said.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Construction workers remodel Aldi Tuesday afternoon.

That’s because ALDI bought the space that used to house a Dollar General store.

In March, ALDI took out a building permit with the city for its $137,000 internal remodeling project.

ALDI is also installing a new parking lot and storm sewer system, according to Shane Johnson, of Shingobee Builders, a Waite Park, Minnesota, company.

Johnson is the project manager for the ALDI remodel.

He said the new parking lot will be more stable than the previous one.

“We are doing some soil corrections for better stabilization,” Johnson said.

Shaw said the company is targeting late June for the reopening of the store.

“We are really excited about getting that project completed and getting customers back in the Fort Dodge store,” Shaw said.

ALDI is a worldwide chain that operates more than 1,600 stores in 35 states.

It has 13 locations in Iowa including Ames, Des Moines and Mason City.

The Fort Dodge store employs about 10 people.

According to information on the official ALDI website, the company takes “a simple, cost-effective approach to grocery shopping that saves shoppers on their grocery bills.”

One of the things the company is known for is its shopping cart rental system, which involves depositing a quarter to get a cart from the rack.

“Not only do customers get their deposit back, there are no stray carts taking up space in the parking lot or causing dents to cars,” a statement on the website reads. “By not having to hire someone to police the shopping carts, we are able to pass the savings on to our customers.”

The company also encourages customers to bring their own shopping bags.

“The end result is that we not only save our customers money by avoiding adding the cost of the bag to our prices, but also precious resources,” a statement on the website reads.