The bargain grocery store Aldi opens Thursday, Oct. 24 in Lake Forest , taking the place of a shuttered CVS drugstore.
A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 8:15 am at the Plaza El Toro shopping center at 23330 El Toro Road.
The store is known for its deeply discounted prices on pantry goods, produce, meat and dairy.
Shoppers who are unfamiliar with the chain should know a few things before heading over:
Size matters: It’s far smaller than a traditional supermarket and comes stocked mostly with Aldi-branded items. While it does sell national brands, shoppers will find the Aldi “knockoff” right next to a familiar box of Cheerios, Oreo cookies or even Best of the West mayonnaise.
Deep discounts: Aldi and its huge network of stores is able to vastly undercut producing prices, selling berries, vegetables and other mainstays for dollars under traditional prices offered by Ralphs, Vons or Albertsons.
No frills here: The store saves money by stacking goods in their shipping boxes and offering many self-checkout stands versus employ-run cash registers.
Don’t forget your quarter: Aldi’s grocery carts are locked together at the storefront. The only way to pry one loose is to insert a quarter into a slot mechanism on the right side of the cart’s handle bar. To get the quarter back, shoppers must return the cart to the storefront where they can insert another cart’s key, pushing their quarter free. This process, which often has shoppers rolling their eyes, keeps Aldi staff from chasing down carts in the parking lot.
Work is ongoing at a former Office Depot in Fountain Valley, which will soon be the city’s first Amazon Fresh grocery store. (Photo courtesy of Google street view)
Amazon Fresh coming to Fountain Valley
Fountain Valley’s first Amazon Fresh is taking shape in a shuttered Office Depot on Brookhurst Street.
The e-commerce’s grocery store concept is joining a host of other merchants at a busy shopping center at the corner of Brookhurst and Talbert Avenue. Other merchants include Dunn Edwards Paints, Hallmark, Afters Ice Cream, Urban Plates, leShrimp Noodle, California Fish Grill and Dunkin Donuts.
The Fresh concept includes the usual pantry staples and fresh produce and meat you’d find at Amazon.com’s other grocery store, Whole Foods.
What shoppers also get at Amazon Fresh is a bit of the tech experience familiar to the company’s online shoppers. Expect to find artificial intelligence in the aisles and in the shopping carts. Alexa, the company’s artificial assistant, is situated in the aisles to help shoppers find goods. The tech-laden Amazon Dash Cart scans items as they’re set items inside the basket. A contactless payment system called Amazon One means shoppers can enter, shop and pay with their palm print.
There is no immediate opening date for the Fountain Valley store.
Ace Hardware is coming to Rancho Santa Margarita next year, the second Westlake venture for the company in the county. (Photo courtesy of Westlake Ace Hardware)
Hardware store coming to Rancho Santa Margarita
Ace Hardware is coming to Rancho Santa Margarita, the second Westlake venture for the company in the county.
In addition to a plant nursery, the hardware store will feature a wide variety of tools and accessories, cookware, and outdoor merchandise.
The store should open in early 2025, according to the Kansas City, Missouri-based company . Early birds who want a shot at working at the store can email jobs@westlakehardware.com with “Ace Hardware of Rancho Santa Margarita” in the subject line.
Westlake Ace operates another store in Placentia; it opened in July. It also owns 18 other hardware stores in California, including eight in Southern California in Glendale, La Crescenta, Porter Ranch, Simi Valley, South Pasadena, Thousand Oaks, Van Nuys and West LA. Another store is in the works in Agoura Hills.
The annual Fall Book Sale by Orange Coast College Friends of the Library takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22-23 at Orange Coast College Library, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. (Photo courtesy of Orange Coast College Friends of the Library)
Book sale is this week at OCC
Come one, come all book lovers to the annual Fall Book Sale hosted by Orange Coast College Friends of the Library.
The two-day sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. begins Tuesday, Oct. 22, and continues for the same duration on Wednesday.
The sale will include bestsellers, romance, mysteries, science, art, history, and computer books. Most are priced starting at $1. The event will wrap up with a “$2-a-bag” deal during the last two hours of the sale from 1-3 p.m.
Friends of the Library members and OCC students get in early at a pre-sale exclusive from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Details: Orange Coast College Library, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. Look for the Library Lecture Room (Room 112), near the front entrance.
The event is free to the public. Attendees can park in Lot E and purchase a parking permit online through Passport Parking.
Michelle Jordan is the new board chair at the Council on Aging Southern California. (Photo courtesy of Council on Aging Southern California)
On board
Michelle Jordan is the new board chair at the Council on Aging Southern California. She joined the board in 2021 and is founder of Jordan LLC, a firm that specializes in management and crisis communications.
Jane Fujishige Yada, chairwoman of the Board of Segerstrom Center for the Arts, presents a “special recognition” award to Carl St. Clair, the longtime music director at Pacific Symphony. (Photo courtesy of Arts Orange County)
Milestones
Carl St. Clair, music director at Pacific Symphony, was honored by the nonprofit Arts Orange County at its awards celebration held Sept. 24. A special performance performed by Concertmaster Dennis Kim — who has played alongside him for the past six years — was dedicated to St. Clair.
More than 8,000 breast cancer survivors, patients and advocates raised $735,000 at the 28th annual Susan G. Komen Orange County More than Pink Walk, held Sept. 29 at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. (Susan G. Komen Orange County)
Fundraisers
Susan G. Komen Orange County’s 28th annual More than Pink Walk at Fashion Island on Sept. 29 in Newport Beach raised $735,000, a new record for the nonprofit. The organization estimates at least 8,000 breast cancer survivors, patients and advocates helped raise the money, which will support its mission to advance research and support services for breast cancer patients and survivors.
The 13th annual Getzlaf Golf Shootout raised nearly $500,000 for CureDuchenne, a nonprofit with a mission to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The event marked a new milestone for the shootout, as Ryan and Paige Getzlaf handed over hosting duties to Anaheim Ducks Right Wing Troy Terry and his wife Danielle. Getzlaf, who captained the Ducks for 17 seasons, and Paige helmed the Getzlaf Golf Shootout for 13 years, raising $6.3 million to support research for Duchenne.
Reimagine, a nonprofit serving people with disabilities throughout their lives, raised more than $26,000 at its recent Casino Night. Fullerton City Councilmember Ahmad Zahra also presented Reimagine with a certificate of recognition for its nearly 75 years of service in the community. The nonprofit has campuses in Fullerton and Santa Ana.
Supporters of Working Wardrobes raised $420,000 for the nonprofit at its annual gala Infinite Horizons: The Power of Opportunity held at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. The money will go toward WW programs that help people overcome barriers and find employment.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com . Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
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