East-side Geneva shoppers happy to have new grocer
For the first time in nearly 10 years, east-side Geneva residents can go to a grocery store without leaving town or crossing a bridge.
Aldi opened its latest store Thursday morning, on State Street just east of East Side Drive.
The east side of Geneva has not had a grocer since Frank's Finer Foods closed in the summer of 1998.
"I've been waiting for this store for six years," Eileen Stocking, who moved to a home on Longview Drive six years ago, said as she finished paying for bread, milk and a few other items.
Before Thursday, she typically did her shopping at the Meijer in St. Charles (3.5 miles away) or the Aldi in Batavia (5.7 miles), both of which are west of the Fox River on Randall Road.
She's a fan of Aldi's private-label products, particularly the Fit 'N' Active line of health-conscious items.
"It's nice to shop in Geneva," said Stocking, a mother of two, noting that she can drop in after taking her two children to Harrison Street Elementary School a few blocks west of the store.
"I'll probably be here every other day."
The store filled quickly once its doors opened at 8:30 a.m. Some were shoppers from other Aldi stores in St. Charles and Batavia, but others were new to the discount grocer. Cashiers explained some of the store's policies to them.
A few things to know about shopping at Aldi:
1. It does not take checks or credit cards. You can pay with a PIN-based debit card, cash or a Link food benefits card.
2. Bring a quarter if you want to use a shopping cart. You get the quarter back when you return the cart to the corral. The company said this saves money, as it doesn't have to hire people to retrieve carts from the parking lot.
3. You are expected to bag your own groceries. If you don't provide your own bags, you can purchase plastic (10 cents), paper (5 cents) or insulated (99 cents) bags at the store.
4. Aldi features mainly its own brands, in one size, and typically carries about 1,300 items. Name brands might be in stock as a "special buy." According to the Food Marketing Institute, supermarkets in the United States average 45,000 items.
The store does have produce and some non-grocery items. Thursday, it had ladies' jogging suits, comforters and pillows for sale.
The store is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.