Aldi is planning to open its Portland store in March, a spokesperson for the German supermarket chain said Wednesday.

The company leased a former Big Lots store in the Pine Tree Shopping Center on Brighton Avenue in February 2025 and had announced plans to open its first discount grocery store in Maine by the end of the year.

The company announced last October that the opening would happen in early 2026.

The company hasn’t addressed questions about reasons for the delay or provided updates about the highly anticipated store. A spokesperson would not say when in March the store will open its doors to customers.

The company has said it would hire 15-20 people for the Portland store and is taking applications online for several full- and part-time positions that would pay $19.50 to $26.50 per hour, including cashiers, stockers and assistant managers.

Aldi is the fastest growing retailer in the U.S. — ahead of two dollar store chains — with plans to open over 200 stores in 2025 and 800 by the end of the decade. The $9 billion expansion is expected to strengthen an already strong presence in the Northeast and Midwest, adding nearly 330 stores across both regions.

Aldi is often compared to Trader Joe’s, a chain owned by another German conglomerate, and described as a less expensive Whole Foods. Both of those stores have long-standing locations in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood.

Aldi carries mostly store-brand foods, household essentials, pet supplies and personal items. It is best known for its various snacks, gourmet cheeses, German foods, European chocolates, inexpensive wines and store-brand ketchup.

Grocery options in Greater Portland have continued to expand in recent years beyond local mainstays Hannaford and Shaw’s, supermarket chains founded in the late 1800s.

Costco opened its first store in Maine in 2023 and Market Basket is expected to open its fourth store in the state in 2026, both in The Downs redevelopment area in Scarborough.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Feb. 5 to reflect that Aldi and Trader Joe’s are owed by different German companies.