Aldi grocery store on Chicago's South Side closes, alderman says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st) blasted Aldi after its West Pullman neighborhood store closed over the weekend.
Mosley called the closure of the store at 821 W. 115th St. a betrayal.
Some residents said they were completely caught off guard by the closure. Some had never even heard about it, and arrived at the old Aldi to pick up groceries—only to leave emptyhanded.
For the alderman, the closure made for a whirlwind of emotions.
"Shock, disgust, disappointment. They just don't get it," he said. "This Aldi's walked back a promise."
Mosley said he was told the Aldi at 115th and Halsted streets was not going anywhere.
"They told us just a year ago they were here to stay, and that they were going to remodel—maybe even expanding," said Mosley, "and on Thursday, they called me and said they'll be closing in three days on Sunday."
Two days after the Aldi store went out of business, residents were still driving up or walking up to find closed doors.
"Aldi's was one of those places that again provided affordable, fresh groceries," said Mosley. "Now it's not here."
Aldi said it closed two stores in the city—one at 1836 N. Clybourn Ave. in Lincoln Park last month, and the one in West Pullman on Sunday.
"They couldn't understand the impact of closing this store," Mosley said. "Lincoln Park doesn't need another grocery store. It's not a food desert. This one is."
In West Pullman, Aldi was the last major grocery store. There is a Jewel Osco a little over a half away at 11730 S. Marshfield Ave., but the Jewel Osco is technically in Morgan Park.
There is also a Save a Lot at 10700 S. Halsted St. in Roseland, which just reopened.
Now, Mosley is calling on Aldi to give back the 115th Street store so they can do more.
"I'm calling on them to do a request for proposal, an RFP, with the City of Chicago—so that we can discuss and decide what goes here," Mosley said.
The alderman said since big chain grocery stores have continued to fail residents in West Pullman, it is now time to look for a more local dependable option for residents.
Aldi issued this statement regarding the closing of the West Pullman store:
ALDI has made the difficult decision to close two Chicago stores. The final day of operation for our location at 1836 N. Clybourn in Lincoln Park was October 13, 2024, and our store located at 821 W. 115th Street, closed on Sunday, November 10, 2024.
ALDI will continue to proudly serve the Chicago metropolitan area at our more than 150 stores, including more than 30 within the city of Chicago, as well as our distribution center and headquarters in Batavia, Illinois. ALDI employs nearly 6,000 people in the area while offering highly competitive pay and benefits. The recent closures are unique situations and not indicative of any larger trends. In fact, we recently announced our intention to hire more than 13,000 associates as we embark on our most ambitious growth plans yet, aiming to open 800 new stores by the end of 2028.
We strive to create an environment where our employees can thrive. We are proud to say all impacted employees have been offered a transfer to a store of their choice and no jobs will be lost. Customers can conveniently shop at one of our many nearby stores, through curbside pickup or have groceries delivered to their door via Instacart and DoorDash.
- 12215 Western Ave., Blue Island, IL 60406
- 13085 S. Ashland Ave., Calumet Park, IL 60827
- 8500 S. Holland Rd., Chicago, IL 60620
We thank the community for their years of loyalty and look forward to seeing them in nearby stores soon.