Subsequent to a flurry of store openings, Aldi has attracted more shoppers and taken Co-op’s title of the UK’s fifth largest supermarket.
Aldi enticed 826,000 more customers than the year before in the 12 weeks to January 29th and increased sales by 12.4%. This rise has increased its market share to 6.2% ahead of Co-op’s 6%.
The improvement in Aldi’s fortunes counters claims that customers were being put off by long queues, untidy stores and crowded car parks.
In a report by research firm Kantar Worldpanel, overall supermarket sales were up 1.7% but no other company grew quite as notably as Aldi. In fact, Sainsbury’s sales were flat and Asda’s fell by 1.9%.
Aldi will open its 700th store later this month and has revealed plans to open a further 300 in the next five years.
Along with its German rival, Lidl, the supermarket is revolutionising supermarket isles, stealing market shares from the big four grocers.
However, it is expected that this rapid acceleration will not sustain.
Other leading supermarkets are competing with Aldi’s discount prices, and fears are that the more it tries to enhance customer experiences, the more it will stray from its low cost reputation.