The Aldi grocery store under construction in Leland is expected to open Dec. 7, officials announced Tuesday.

The location at the corner of Ploof Road and U.S. 17 in Leland, in a new 60-acre commercial development called Leland Town Center, will be Aldi's third grocery store in the Cape Fear region.

Aldi opened two stores in Wilmington this summer, at 3701 S. College Road and 7954 Market St.

The three area stores are part of the company’s aggressive growth strategy of expanding to nearly 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022, according to a news release.
 
“The town of Leland is excited that Aldi has selected Leland to be the location of its third store in the Cape Fear Region. This is just another example of the attention that our growing town is getting from national retailers,” said Gary Vidmar, the town of Leland’s economic and community development director, in the release.

Headquartered in Batavia, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, Aldi has been operating in the U.S. for the past 40 years.
 
Aldi stores offer a variety of products, from organic produce and antibiotic-free meats, to baby items, snacks, gluten-free products, and award-winning wine and cheese. Aldi stores are smaller than some other chains -- for example, the Leland location is about 19,000 square feet, while the average grocery store is more than 45,000 square feet, the release said.
 
Krysta Cearley, Salisbury division vice president for Aldi, said in the release, “We look forward to opening our doors to the Leland community next month, and bringing the ALDI shopping experience to residents who already know and love ALDI, as well as new fans.”

Aldi is one of several grocery store chains that have been or have plans to expand to the Wilmington area. Publix, based in Florida, is celebrating the grand opening of its 45,600-square-foot store at 7144 Market St. in Ogden Market Place on Nov. 29.