In 2006 Aldi U.S.A. – a subsidiary of Aldi South – announced its intention to set up shop in Florida, starting with some 20 stores in the Orlando region. Now it turns out the firm quietly paid US$1.6 million for 2.2 acres on State Road 46 in Sanford last August. The Orlando Business Journal reports this today. Further, real estate sources told the Tampa Bay Business Journal recently that Aldi plans to eventually open 100 stores throughout the state.

The Sanford site is to be one of Aldi’s first Florida locations. While already has several stores selling groceries – such as Publix Super Markets, Sam's Club, SuperTarget, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Winn-Dixie and a new Save-A-Lot at U.S. 17-92 and 25th Street – Sanford seems to be emerging as an experimental community for retailers, Sanford Economic Development Director Bob Tunis told the Orlando Business Journal.

Last year, local media quoted David Behm, vice president of Aldi’s Orlando division, as saying that Aldi was buying real estate in the Orlando market and planned to open a distribution center in Central Florida, although no locations were named at the time. The stores were expected to be open by 2008, Behm said. Now Behm declined to comment and stated only that Aldi was going to unveil details of its Florida expansion in the Autumn