CRANBERRY TWP — Despite the cold temperatures, about 30 people lined up outside Cranberry Mall's newest store this morning.

Aldi officials cut the ribbon and welcomed customers to their new 18,000 square-foot grocery store, which was full of shoppers just minutes after opening at 9 a.m.

The store occupies part of a space that used to house Kuhn's Market, which closed more than a year ago.

Aldi had been working on bringing a store to the township for several years, though the construction took just three months, said Brent Laubaugh, vice president of the company's Saxonburg division.

“We made a really strong push to get the store open in advance of the holiday for our customers who wanted to shop here,” Laubaugh said.

The Saxonburg-based office manages 52 stores in Western Pennsylvania, western New York, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia.