From discounters to precious market – and vice versa – Weser-Kurier online

discounters like Aldi put increasingly on brand-name products on the shelves. Thus they make supermarkets like Rewe and Edeka competition. (Federico Gambarini, picture alliance / dpa)

For consumers, the good news. Because no matter whether or not the low-cost suppliers softener, energy drinks or crisps from brand manufacturers is on the shelves: In most cases the hitherto customary prices fall sharply for these products into the slides. “Often the existing promotional price for permanent price was” the trade expert Martin Fassnacht of the business school WHU has observed. And he is certain: “Aldi will listen even more brand products. That’s not a question. “

The reason for the offensive of the discount market leader is obvious to those skilled in the art marketing. “Aldi has lost in recent years in Germany in particular to the major supermarket chains market share,” he explains. For Edeka, Rewe and Co are a mix of cheap discount offers on the one hand, greater choice and more services on the other hand better response to the changing customer needs. In this development Aldi had to respond.

“With brands such as Coca-Cola or Red Bull speaks at Aldi young brand savvy customers who previously often made a detour to the discounters,” says Fassnacht the Aldi strategy. And the company simultaneously bind his regular customers better per se. Because now would no longer have to compete to buy these branded products.

A challenge was the most looked especially for the archrival Lidl, the brand products to discount price as its domain. And Lidl took up the challenge to price wars. The rest of its competitors did not have much choice but to go along grudgingly given the duel of the discount giants. Finally, the German customers are known for their price sensitivity known

According to a study the consulting firm OC & amp;. C less than 40 percent of customers of Aldi, Netto, Lidl, Penny, Real, Rewe would their distributors keep faith, if prices were five to ten percent higher than the competition.

But put Aldi and Lidl not only on branded goods at bargain prices to make up ground compared to the last shining with strong growth rates supermarket chains. Visually upgrade to the discounters and shorten the distance to Edeka, Rewe and Co. “Both Aldi and Lidl are currently testing formats that would have been unthinkable a few years ago” ruled recently the journal “Lebensmittel Zeitung”.

In the description of the new Aldi market in Kirchseeon near Munich, industry insiders were downright lyrical: “daylight and LED lights bathe the interior market in flattering light. In warm tones, the new tiles, the wooden beams of the roof, the strips and rear walls shimmer in imitation wood. In the market there are background music, an electronic prescription consultants (…), behind the cash register a coffee machine with a bench and a customer toilet with comfort station “Even if not all the new features from the test markets are likely to find their way into other branches. The trend is unmistakable. Expert Fassnacht warns however: “A discount may not be chic.”