Aldi opens in Tustin at former bowling alley, OSH store
The grocery store, which carries a store brand that emulates mainstream pantry goods, is known for its low-cost food.
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
The discount grocer Aldi has opened in the former Tustin Lanes bowling alley and most recently an Orchard Supply Hardware store on Old Irvine Boulevard in Tustin.
The grocery store, which carries a store brand that emulates mainstream pantry goods, is known for its low-cost food.
The former OSH at 1091 Irvine Blvd. has been vacant since 2018 when Lowe’s, its parent company, shuttered all 99 hardware stores. The bowling alley was popular with local residents for 38 years before closing in 2015.
The building has since been converted into two retail spaces, one of which houses Aldi. There was no tenant in the neighboring unit as of Saturday, Nov. 19.
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. This is an example of the knockoff Aldi Cheerios, about half the cost of the name brand. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. Small pecan pies were less than $6 each. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. Large take-and-bake pizzas were $7.99 each Saturday, Nov. 19. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. Salted butter was $2.99 per pound Saturday, Nov. 19. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. This knockoff of Hellmann’s or Best Foods mayonnaise was $4.85, about $1.50 cheaper than the name brand. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. The store has a small selection of pet products. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. This jumbo cookie sheet with a cooling rack was $14.99 on Saturday, Nov. 19. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. The Aldi-branded frozen turkeys were 65 cents per pound on Saturday, Nov. 19. In the next freezer bin, Butterball turkeys were $1.07 per pound. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. The Tustin store had a small selection of pet items. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. Seen here are Butterball turkeys for $1.07 per pound. The Aldi branded turkey was selling for 65 cents per pound. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
Aldi opened on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Tustin in the former Orchard Hardware Supply store (and formerly Tustin Lanes) in Tustin. The chain offers a variety of store brands at substantially lower prices than national competitors. (Samantha Gowen / SCNG)
The discounter joins a plethora of grocery stores in that vicinity. Within 100 yards, there’s a Grocery Outlet, Trader Joe’s and Smart & Final.
The German grocery store, with its U.S. base in Batavia, Ill., mimics brand packaging for many of its products. For example, the familiar blue and yellow colors used by Best Foods (Hellmann’s) is also used on Aldi’s Burman’s Real Mayonaise. Aldi’s Fruit Rounds cereal looks a lot like Fruit Loops. The same copycat method shows up on boxes of mac n’ cheese, snacks, cheese and more.
Aldi, which is a contraction of the name Albrecht Discount, debuted in California in 2016, though it’s been operating in the U.S. since 1976.
The chain keeps its overhead costs down by stacking products in boxes rather than on multiple rows of shelves. Customers, who have to bag their own groceries, insert a quarter into a shopping cart and then return the shopping cart to the store in order to retrieve their coin.
The company said it would be adding 150 stores across the U.S. in its ongoing expansion push. Aldi operates nine stores in Orange County, 88 stores throughout California and roughly 2,000 total in 36 states.
