Discount grocerer Aldi confirmed this week it plans to enter the Houston market with multiples stores, saying it plans 30 locations over the next three years.

The first stores in Houston, more than 10, are set to open in spring of 2013.

In February, Aldi told the Chronicle it had purchased 2.5 acres on Mason Road at Oak Park Trails for a store near Cinco Ranch. Some have protested that project.

At the time, the grocer, which has 37 stores in Texas, nearly all of which are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, was keeping its broad local plans under wraps.

The discount grocery chain operates on a different business model than its peers. Customers must pay a 25 cent deposit for a grocery cart – a system that cuts down on carts stacking up parking lots, the company says.

Shoppers are also expected to bring their own bags and do their own bagging. And almost 95 percent of its products are sold under Aldi’s private label.

The German chain entered the U.S. market in 1976 and operates more than 1,200 outlets across the country.

“Our history and recent growth in Texas has us poised for great success in the Houston area as more and more shoppers are discovering the high-value, high-quality shopping experience that Aldi offers,” Scott Huska, division vice president for Aldi, said in a statement. “Our expansion will bring job opportunities with excellent pay and benefits to the Houston area. We are excited to bring these benefits to Houston as we continue our expansion in Texas.”

Aldi says it reduces overhead costs by having smaller store sizes, open carton displays and encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags.

The Houston stores are to feature higher ceilings, improved natural lighting and environmentally friendly building materials, such as recycled materials and energy-saving refrigeration and light bulbs.

Aldi also has a connection to Trader Joe’s, another chain entering the Houston market.

Trader Joe’s was bought in 1979 by German billionaires Karl and Theo Albrecht, who founded the Aldi food chain, according to Hoovers.