First Look Inside Poughkeepsie’s Huge, New ALDI Store

Hundreds of shoppers lined up outside for the grand opening of Poughkeepsie’s new ALDI, but the biggest surprises were actually waiting inside.

The grocery chain celebrated its grand opening on Thursday at the Mid Hudson Center across from Marist University. We stopped by to get our first look inside the store, which has been in the works since earlier this year.

A. Boris

Back in February, we reported on plans to convert approximately 20,000 square feet of Ocean State Job Lot’s footprint into the supermarket. Now, the finished store has welcomed its first wave of customers.

ALDI offered preview shopping on Wednesday, October 21, before Thursday’s grand opening celebration brought hundreds of people out early to line up for gift bags and a chance at some free groceries.

A. Boris

The first 200 customers were offered bags filled with ALDI products and Golden Tickets worth up to $100. The promotion included randomly assigned gift cards ranging from $5 to $100, with $3,000 in prizes available. Free shopping totes were also offered while supplies lasted.

Doors opened at 9am, and by 10am the store was up and running, with customers making their way through the aisles and checking out their purchases.

With so many people showing up for opening day, you might have expected a lengthy wait at the registers. However, plenty of cashiers were working, and checkout lines were much shorter than many shoppers expected.

A. Boris

For Poughkeepsie residents who previously traveled to Wappingers Falls or other Hudson Valley locations to shop at ALDI, the new store gives them an option closer to home.