Aldi eyes Pakenham

Paul Dunlop
SUPERMARKET giant Aldi is looking to open a store in Pakenham.
Confirming recent speculation in the community, a spokeswoman from Aldi’s Melbourne office said it was interested in establishing a local presence.
No specific location has been decided but the international chain, which already has a store in Beaconsfield, is said to be considering a number of potential sites.
One of those could be at Lakeside at Pakenham.
Moves are afoot to build another supermarket at Lakeside, which already has a Coles.
A planning application has been lodged with council for land in Portobello Road, near the ABC childcare centre, but it remains to be seen whether it will be a home for Aldi or another group.
Aldi’s spokeswoman said no decision had been made as to its preferred location in town.
“We are looking in the area, we’re looking at a few places, not just one and we’re keeping our options open. That’s about all I can say at this stage,” she said.
Aldi is just one of several big brand companies looking closely at Pakenham.
Another new supermarket will soon be built at Heritage Springs estate as part of its developing commercial complex, with a further centre planned for Cardinia Lakes, east of town.
Coles, Safeway and IGA supermarkets are already well established in Pakenham’s town centre.
Big W, KMart and other major stores are believed to be investigating potential sites in or around Pakenham as the town grows.
Cardinia Shire Council’s governance and communications manager Doug Evans said the department store giants were “well aware” of the growth in the area.
Bunnings Warehouse is another major retailer about to open its doors in Pakenham.