New Aldi Store Opens Sept. 17 on Mariner Boulevard, First 200 Shoppers Get Free Gifts

Aldi opens its newest Florida store at 4221 Mariner Blvd. in Spring Hill on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, giving Hernando County shoppers another discount grocery option as families look for ways to trim their food bills.

The German discount chain will hand out freebies to mark the opening. The first 200 shoppers in line get a free bag of Aldi goodies and a "golden ticket" that could be worth up to a $100 Aldi gift card. Employees will also give out free reusable shopping totes throughout the day, while supplies last.

The Spring Hill store is one of three Aldi is opening in Florida this month, alongside new locations in Miami on Sept. 3 and Crestview on Sept. 10. Three more Aldi stores opened in DeFuniak Springs, Eustis and Tarpon Springs on Aug. 20, according to USA Today Network-Florida reporting.

Part of a bigger Florida push

Aldi has opened more than 50 Florida stores this year on top of about 60 last year. The Mariner Boulevard opening brings the chain's statewide total to 338 stores in more than 180 cities, more than any other state in the country. Many of the new Florida locations are converted former Winn-Dixie stores, picked up during Aldi's brief ownership of that chain's parent company.

The company says it plans to open more than 180 stores nationwide in 2026 as it works toward 3,200 U.S. locations by the end of 2028. Aldi is also marking its 50th anniversary in the United States this year.

Why shoppers are paying attention

Aldi is leaning into its reputation as a budget option. The chain says its 2026 price leadership report found shoppers can save up to 22% buying Aldi's private-label products compared with competitors' own store brands. Morning Consult recently ranked Aldi the nation's "Most Trusted Grocery Store."

For shoppers new to the format, Aldi runs lean on purpose. Customers deposit a quarter to unlock a shopping cart, refunded when the cart is returned. There's no in-store deli, bakery or pharmacy, and shoppers bag their own groceries, whether with their own bags, purchased bags, or leftover cardboard boxes. About 90% of what's on the shelves carries an Aldi-owned brand. Stores also rotate in limited-time "Aldi Finds," a mix of kitchen gadgets, outdoor gear and home décor that shows up for a few weeks and then disappears.

Aldi isn't the only chain expanding in the region. Publix recently opened a store in Apollo Beach and has another coming to Apopka on Sept. 24. Winn-Dixie's parent company opened a modernized store in Keystone Heights in August, and Sprouts Farmers Market and Trader Joe's have both announced Florida expansion plans of their own.

Aldi has not said whether it plans additional Hernando County locations beyond the Mariner Boulevard store.

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