This discount supermarket is coming to former Ocean State Job Lot in Shrewsbury

SHREWSBURY - Discount grocer Aldi will open a supermarket on Newman Springs Road in a store that was formerly Ocean State Job Lot.

The German grocer, which recently announced a nationwide expansion, has signed a lease for a 22,000-square-foot store, about half of the 41,800-square-foot building at 179 Newman Springs Road, said Jeffrey Hale, vice president of leasing at Chatham-based Sudler Companies, the building's owner.

"It's great," Hale said. Aldi is a "very good operator."

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Renovation work has begun and the store is expected to open later this year, Aldi said.

The Newman Springs Road store hasn't been home to a grocery since Foodtown left in 2008. Previously, it was a Stop & Shop. Most recently, discounter Ocean State Job Lot had a store there before it closed in 2019 .

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Shrewsbury Mayor Kim Doran Eulner said she was thrilled to see Aldi take the space. "We all like to have other options and other places to shop for our groceries," Eulner said. "I feel like we have a lot of choices in the area. This is another great solution or great offering."

Known for its small stores, 90% of the groceries sold are under Aldi's exclusive brands, which the grocer says will help customers save on their grocery bills. The store features organic meats, fresh produce, sustainable seafood, cheese selections, and food for every lifestyle, including gluten-free and plant-based.

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The store also has weekly offerings of limited-time "Aldi Finds," such as seasonal food and home goods.

Aldi has 60 stores in New Jersey, including 11 in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

With other nearby stores in West Long Branch and Hazlet, the new Shrewsbury store is the latest move for Aldi at the Jersey Shore. In March, Aldi opened its new store on Route 35 in Neptune , just off the Asbury Circle, a relocation of an older Aldi store that was on Route 35 near the Route 33 intersection.

In March, Aldi said it plans to invest more than $9 billion over the next five years as part of a national expansion that will add 800 stores nationwide by the end of 2028. It includes strengthening its already strong presence in the Northeast and Midwest U.S. by adding more than 330 stores across both regions during that period.

"Our growth is fueled by our customers, and they are asking for more ALDI stores in their neighborhoods nationwide,” said Jason Hart, Aldi's chief executive officer, in a statement in March. "With up to 40% savings on groceries, new customers are inspired to try us out, and existing customers keep coming back."

With a ShopRite on Shrewsbury Avenue in Shrewsbury and Super Foodtown on Broad Street at Maple Avenue in Red Bank, a new Aldi will ramp up competition in the area. Trader Joe's has a store in Shrewsbury and just opened a new location in Middletown. Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace, a specialty grocer, opened in Tinton Falls in 2023.

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Lidl, another German discounter, has a store on Route 35 in Eatontown and Amazon Fresh is getting ready to open a store across the street , its first in Monmouth County.

Meanwhile, Sudler's Hale said the company is seeking a tenant for the remaining part of the Newman Springs Road building. "We are looking for a harmonious use," he said.

David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 25 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: This discount supermarket is coming to former Ocean State Job Lot in Shrewsbury