[MINI-POST] The Cheapening of ALDI

It seems that the longer a retailer keeps a modern design concept, the more likely it is to be cheapened over time. Much like Price Chopper's upgrades to Market32, it appears that ALDI is cheapening their remodels.

All pictures taken on October 4, 2023.

This ALDI store, located at 2008 Doubleday Avenue in Ballston Spa, opened in 1997 like many of the earliest ALDI stores here in the Northeast. While the interior received a minor facelift in 2006, this next remodel would be slightly more substantial, or perhaps not. Reopening on January 5, 2023, this store would get a much cheaper exterior remodel, with a grid pattern adorning the facade and a reconfigured entryway. Normally ALDI would build an entirely new facade.

Inside it looks no different than many lower-end remodels in which the original tile is kept, but the drop ceiling was removed and the trusses painted black. However there is one thing that they didn't cheap out on...

The ratty 2015 Technibilt 7142W shopping carts were replaced with these sturdier, higher-quality Precision Wire 568W shopping carts. Like all of their newer carts, these simply have the ALDI "A" emblem on the handle insert.