How Aldi is taking over US supermarkets with $4 almond butter.

For some city commuters, the new urban environment offers a better experience than older formats. Kelvin Dozier, who often shops at Aldi in Brooklyn, recently started visiting Manhattan, across the street from his office, for convenience.

“The one here – it’s brighter,” Dozier told the BBC, referring to the fresh, sweet core oranges in the basket. “The one in Brooklyn is a little bit smaller. It looks temporary, but here it looks like a permanent place.”

Still, it’s an uphill battle to beat the urban scumbags accustomed to mainstream brands. Ralph Montenegro, who visited Aldi for the first time, remains loyal to his competitors.

“It has more variety than Target,” he said, appreciating prices on staples like flour and fruit, though he still prefers Trader Joe’s. He added that Aldi’s heavy reliance on packaged and private-label foods paled in comparison to the natural, organic alternatives he chose.

According to Dustin York, an associate professor of communication at Maryville University, this strong belief in limited personal labels is what keeps Aldi’s balance sheet low.

He said Aldi is targeting a more efficient model that offers 80% of what a traditional big-box retailer carries, but at a much lower price.

Still, York is unlikely to take significant market share from Walmart, they say, because the retail giant is so huge. “I call Walmart a battleship, and Aldi a submarine.”

But navigating those troubled waters can present a different financial risk.

“The biggest kryptonite is the price of real estate,” cautions York, pointing to Manhattan’s aggressive retail landscape, where average rents hover between $350 and $700 per square foot.