Aldi has opened in China’s first retail stores. The Discounter wants to score in Shanghai with the trust in German products. However, the Chinese market is considered to be difficult.
this is no ordinary German supermarket, and you realize that There is music and a lighting concept with different colors and sounds depending on the time of day. And full it is, it’s hard to get through the gears.
there’s a red carpet, the snake Interested enough to the road. Directly at the entrance of the first cooling shelf: the best of both worlds, German sausages, in addition to pre-packaged chicken feet. Then: lots of vegetables, lots of Fresh, some of it from regions not far from Shanghai.
Hope for the trust in “made in germany” Aldi-Filiale in Shanghai
in-house brands and imported wines
A Press lady from the Aldi-China-media team around, but must not be quoted. They used multiple vocabulary words, such as “regional”, “sustainable” and “exclusive”. In the case of chocolate, this is perhaps just a nicer word for “own brand”. But there are actually also French wines at affordable prices.
And later: can of beer by the pallet. As a German, one is reminded perhaps of the past. For some of the more elderly people, the pile up of beer cans in their baskets, something New.
“That comes from Germany and is in the offer,” says Mr JHA. He is enthusiastic: The can today costs only three Yuan, the equivalent of 40 cents. He says he has never had a glass of German beer. At home, he wants to try it immediately.
The beer shelf is almost empty. A Gang, more a woman heaves a huge canister of cooking oil in your shopping cart. The clientele, according to previous food scandals in China is suspicious, not a cover like if you can: “The brands I know, but in a German Store it will not be fake.”
The beer was in great demand, the wine rack was well-filled.
Hard-to-marketing Name
Only English in the Shop but it is not. He should be focused especially on the needs of the Chinese clientele. The Name, however, Aldi is called in China “Aolèqí” – has in Chinese no special meaning. In marketing terms, this is difficult.
And also the hot dogs, which are made on a counter top, fresh, to taste a Chinese test-eaters are not particularly. But the racer in front of this counter is already sold out: “Berliner Bao”, a steamed Dumpling (Baozi) stuffed with sausages and Sauerkraut.
Pay by Smartphone
Directly next to the cash register. You can also just pay with the Smartphone, such as the 30-year-old Xin, the salad buys a pre-packaged Ready-to. He scans paid for the Code with the App, and put it in his pocket.
With the data, and the purchasing behavior of Aldi wants to control in China, the product selection, specifically: When people are in Shanghai rather sweet products, then there are no walnuts, but with honey roasted almonds.
delivery service for the surrounding
collect data on the one hand, convenient shopping, on the other. You can also have online: Via a QR Code on the Aldi page at WeChat, the Chinese all-in-one App. The press assistant in the Store promises that if you order in the radius of three kilometers of the Goods “immediately” would be delivered.
We order from two miles away, but it takes almost an hour and a half and it’s a can of beer missing! Sold out. According to the complaint, the price will be refunded. Perhaps this is due to the rush on opening day.
Whether the concept works? Aldi would not be the first foreign supermarket to fail in China.
of the Others are already
failed Whether Aldi can be successful in China, only time will tell – the market environment is difficult. So has pulled back MediaMarkt 2013 from China. Other Western companies have failed with their market entry. The few that manage to adapt to strong. The French chain Carrefour, for example, is still there.
If you want to be successful in China, you have to position itself as a Chinese company. Therefore, Aldi wants to offer a refined shopping experience with German, but also local products, some produced regionally.
Cautious Approach
otherwise, the German Discounter operates in a highly careful. He started two years ago as a pure Online Shop on the platform Tmall, which is part of the retail giant Taobao. There Aldi presented itself as a feel-good dealer with “products for the whole family”, organic muesli and Australian wine included.
now with the first two stores in Shanghai, Aldi wants to evaluate a lot of data, customer needs and the product range right after alignment. Whether a further Expansion is planned to open to let a spokesperson.
Aldi opens first stores in China, 29.05.2019 news Atlas |China |Shanghai