Store impressions: What do you think? Top or Flop? Aldi

When checking on two Aldi stores on the weekend, I had a déjà vu reminding me of the busy phase half an hour before a hypermarket opening. The store looked as if the night shift had finished and the final floor cleaning was in process. Quarter pallets and supplier displays strewn across every aisle.

Only Aldi is a discounter and there is no night shift. And the time was early afternoon. And Aldi is not exactly known for promoting supplier brands inside its stores. Almost two dozen special placements (19 and 21, respectively, to be exact) in sales areas of around 750 sq m (2x5 aisles) made the previously relaxed top-up tour more of a slalom. Half of the brands displayed were of Polish origin, the other half from international suppliers; less than a third had a direct seasonal relation (as with barbecue spices, salad sauces, mineral water, cider and sun protection). With some of the exhibits decimated to one or two levels (assuming an initial four or five) customer response seemed to be good.

Certainly, this brand focus makes Aldi's offer more comparable to other market players by ruling out doubts about private label quality and vividly putting the price to the fore. Taking the low number of seasonal items these extra placements also allow to scout for profitable assortment additions without touching the clear-cut planograms or compromising shelf visibility. At the same time, they are strengthening the bottom line.

Also, a hint of controlled chaos has proven immensely valuable for driving sales, as in old-time famous 'Schlu?verkauf' sales out actions in Germany. But this was true mainly for textiles and other seasonal items.

Will this step be a successful strategy for the German discounter in its evolution towards the supermarket segment? What do you think? Top or Flop?

#aldi #discounters #poland