Discount grocery chain Aldi closed its West Pullman store on Sunday; this move caused locals to criticize it for leaving the Far South Side neighborhood with fewer food options.

Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st), Aldi’s 821 W. 115 St. He said he gave his office only a few days’ notice about the sudden closure of the store at . In a Facebook post on Friday, Mosley said: “Yesterday my office informed us that Aldi had made the unfortunate decision to close this location and we were told that this decision was final.”

In his post, Mosley said he spoke with Aldi representatives a year ago and “they reassured our community that they were here to stay and that they intended to remodel and potentially expand.” “This assurance has now been broken.”

The store opened in November 2007, according to an Aldi spokesperson.

“There is nowhere within walking distance for our neighbors to get the groceries they need for their families, nowhere to shop and get home without their ice cream melting,” Mosley said on Facebook.

While Aldi’s closing creates a void in the neighborhood, discount grocer Save Lots It opened last week at 10700 S. Halsted St. in West Pullman, about a mile north of the shuttered Aldi location. It joins Jewel-Osco, located about 1.5 miles west toward Morgan Park.

Mosley’s spokesman, Michael Peery, said Tuesday that Aldi told the alderman that locals could go elsewhere or use delivery services for an additional fee. Peery said Mosley was “very surprised by their such outspoken response.”

Aldi said in an emailed statement: “Aldi has made the difficult decision to close two stores in Chicago. The last day of operation at our location at 1836 N. Clybourn in Lincoln Park was October 13, 2024, and our store at 821 W. 115th Street closed on Sunday, November 10, 2024. Recent closures are unique circumstances and indicative of larger trends. “In fact, we have recently announced our intention to hire more than 13,000 employees as we embark on our most ambitious growth plans to date, aiming to open 800 new stores by the end of 2028.”

Separately, design and construction firm AM King said Tuesday it will oversee a major renovation and expansion of Aldi’s headquarters in Batavia, west of Chicago. It will renovate three existing buildings and construct a fourth building on the 60-acre campus to provide Aldi with approximately 250,000 square feet of office space.

food desserts

Grocery store chains have been criticized for closing stores on the South and West Sides, leaving food deserts with little access to quality fresh food.

Food deserts are a major concern in Chicago. A WBEZ-Chicago Sun-Times analysis found that poor food access in Chicago has increased by 63% in the past decade. This includes high-profile closings of the Walmart Supercenter in Chatham, Whole Foods in Englewood and Aldi in Germany. Brunette Gresham.

Last summer, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation promising $20 million to grocers who open and expand stores in underserved rural towns and urban neighborhoods. Illinois Grocery Initiative.

Meanwhile, Aldi opened a new store at 215 S. Harlem Ave. in Forest Park on Nov. 7. The company also plans to open its new store. first West Loop store In a new mixed-use development in 2026.

The discounter announced aggressive expansion plans in March. His 800 stores The expansion across the U.S. includes approximately 330 new facilities in the Northeast and Midwest with a total investment of more than $9 billion. Aldi has more than 30 locations in Chicago.

Aldi came under fire in 2021 when it closed its West Garfield Park location due largely to theft and high expenses on security.