Aldi opens 33rd Houston-area store in Fulshear

Aldi opened its 33rd Houston-area store July 6 at 5840 FM 1463 Rd. in Fulshear. Aldi opened its 33rd Houston-area store July 6 at 5840 FM 1463 Rd. in Fulshear. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Aldi opens 33rd Houston-area store in Fulshear 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

Discount grocer Aldi on Thursday opened a new store in Fulshear, its 33rd location in the Houston area.

The store, the company's 100th in Texas, is part of an aggressive plan to expand throughout the area. Aldi expects to add as many as 17 local stores and invest $34 million in renovations here by the end of 2018.

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The Houston expansion is part of Aldi's $3.4 billion plan to add 900 U.S. locations in five years. That would bring its national store count to 2,500 and make it the third-largest grocery chain in the U.S.

The Fulshear location is an example of the company's new store design, which has more spacious layouts and additional product lines to meet the growing demand for natural and organic foods.