SBJ Asks: Is Aldi coming to Branson?

Karen Best: Aldi is looking for the right location in Branson.

Aldi appears to be eyeing Branson, though when the company might open a store in the tourist market is up in the air.

Branson Mayor Karen Best recently took to social media to tease Aldi’s first store in the city.

Best first posted on Jan. 18 that “Aldi’s is definitely coming to Branson. I’m not at liberty to share location until Tuesday. Stay tuned!” The message was reiterated yesterday, when Best asked her Facebook followers to again “stay tuned regarding a possible Aldi’s, as there are many factors involved in opening a new location.”

In a comment on the latest Facebook post, Best clarified city staff met yesterday with Aldi officials as the supermarket chain seeks to nail down a site in Branson.

“I was hoping it would be final after today, but we will see what happens after their due diligence,” she said via Facebook.

Springfield Business Journal reached out to Aldi for more information.

“At this time, we do not have any solidified plans for a store in Branson,” said Mark Bersted, a divisional vice president in Olathe, Kansas, via email. “We will be in touch if we have information to share at a later date.”

It’s not the first time Best has teased a possible Aldi in Branson. The Branson Tri-Lakes News in February 2018 reported on Best saying the company would open a store in the tourist market during 2019.

It’s often the case that companies won’t publicly confirm a new store until all the details are finalized, so Best’s teasers are probably a better gauge given her position.

Should a store launch in Branson, it would join four other local stores: two Springfield locations and a supermarket each in Republic and Nixa.

Stay tuned for No. 5.