Josh Lintereur

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

European discount grocer Aldi plans to remodel and expand its Sheboygan store, with work expected to wrap up in fall.

The project would add nearly 2,400 square feet to the store, located at 919 S. Taylor Drive, along with a new entrance, facade and open-concept sales floor, according to building permits filed with the city of Sheboygan.

If approved by city officials, work could begin as early as July and be completed by October, with limited closure time during that period.

“We are committed to the Sheboygan community and are evaluating our options to remodel and expand the existing store so we can continue to offer Sheboygan shoppers high-quality, affordable groceries,” said Atty McGrath, Aldi’s Oak Creek Division vice president, in an email.

McGrath said the store will feature more sales space and a more modern, easy-to-navigate layout, with high ceilings and more natural light.

The project comes as the German grocer – which also owns the Trader Joe’s chain - undergoes a major expansion in the U.S., where it plans to open 650 new Aldi stores by 2018, including up to five in Wisconsin, McGrath said.

By 2018, the company says it will have nearly 2,000 U.S. Aldi stores.

The company also announced plans in January to ramp-up its selection of organic meat and produce, along with its gluten-free food offerings.

McGrath said the company’s expansion plans are being driven by the growing popularity of the chain’s discounted food.

The chain sells groceries at a steep discount through low-overhead, streamlined store operations, where it puts far less attention on merchandising than its competitors.

Products are often displayed in shipping packaging, customers pay a deposit to use shopping carts and must bring or buy their own bags and bag their own groceries, which cuts down on labor costs.

The store also saves money by selling mostly private-label food bought in bulk, versus carrying several brands of the same product. Its inventory is also limited to the most-commonly purchased grocery items.

Reach Josh Lintereur at 920-453-5147, jlintereur@gannett.com or on Twitter @joshlintereur.