'I was flabbergasted': Despite supportive community, Aldi closes its Auburn Gresham store
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Closed without notice!
Frustrated people in one South Side neighborhood are starved for answers as to why they weren't told their local grocery store would shut down?
CBS 2's Steven Graves reports, the store partly blames crime for the closing.
Shirley Bryant and Juanita Love have lived in Auburn Gresham for decades. They're very involved, but said this caught them by surprise.
"I came over myself to see and it was closed. The gates were locked. The signs are all gone."
The one sign that remains on this Aldi at Ashland & 76th street says "Permanently Closed" and the nearest Aldi is about three miles away.
"That was a great hurt to not only me, but some of the seniors that don't drive and they have no transportation."
The store has served this community for 13 years. Neighbors said not one day of notice came when it closed June 12.
"I was flabbergasted."
ALDI told CBS 2 and said it closed the store for several reasons including "repeated burglaries and declining sales" but was there any notice and could the closure have been prevented? But we're asking was there any notice? Could it have been prevented?
There's still no explanation from ALDI regarding its notification policies.
"What's happening now is that you just show up and this is what you have. We are looking for more engagement from our local officials."
Betty Jo Swanson / Local Block Club
"Let us know what the problem is and what can we as community leaders do to help with this problem."
Alderman David Moore (17th) said he was blindsided after talking to the company six months ago.
"They never said they were going to close. They just said 'if we can get packaged goods and liquors, it will help us with sales. I was like 'If it's going to help with your sales, I'll approve it. I'll sign off on it and I'll stand with you. That's what I did, but they didn't stand with us."
It's not the first time ALDI has seemingly left a community starving for an explanation. Last year, it closed shop on the West Side in West Garfield Park.
Back in Auburn Gresham. local leaders said the disinvestment is a pattern. After recently losing another grocery store, pharmacy and bank, they're now looking for change.
"Have engaged leadership that's able to communicate with the business community, have the finger on the pulse of what's going on. So items like this don't come as a surprise."
The Aldi closure comes as Whole Foods in Englewood is still slated to close. The company gave a warning back in April that it will shut down "in the coming months, citing low sales as the reason.
An Aldi spokesperson released a statement to CBS 2:
We've made the difficult decision to permanently close our store located at 7627 S. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. The store's final day of operation was Sunday, June 12. We do not take the closing of this location lightly. Our decision was based on several factors, including repeated burglaries and declining sales. Out of concern for our employees and customers, keeping this store open was no longer a sustainable option. All of our employees have been given the option to continue working at one of our other ALDI locations in the immediate area.