For the inventors of discount, the basic concept has changed little, if at all. A medium-sized store with a Spartan look; a limited assortment of products, mostly own-brand; and, above all, the lowest prices on the market: German frugality transformed into a business model.

In inflationary times, the radically simple supermarket designed by Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 in the impoverished post-war Ruhr region of Germany has been performing like a charm. In recent months, Aldi and its rival Lidl (Schwarz Group) have posted double-digit growth in the United States and the United Kingdom, against a backdrop of rising food prices and declining consumer spending.

Aldi Süd – the brand's southern branch, distinct from Aldi Nord – surprised observers in August. The group announced its intention to accelerate its growth in the US, by acquiring Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket, two supermarket chains that together operate 400 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The cost was not specified.

This major acquisition is in line with the group's ambitions in the country. Prior to this announcement, Aldi Süd had already warned that it would open 120 new stores in 2023, taking its network to 2,400 stores in 38 states, twice as many as 10 years ago. The group, which claimed 9.4 million new customers across the Atlantic by 2022, was consolidating its position as the leading local discounter. A report by Placer.ai, a California-based US footfall analysis center, revealed in February that Aldi had seen one of the biggest increases in footfall in the last quarter of 2022, with a one-third increase over the last three years.

Growth has also been strong in the UK. According to group data, one million new customers had passed through the doors of one of the 1,000 Aldi stores across the Channel by 2022. According to an analysis by the Kantar Institute in September, the group's market share in UK food retailing is now 10.1%, up from 7.8% at the start of 2022, making it the fastest-growing retailer.

"Britain is shopping very differently to how it did 18 months ago – fewer trips, more own-label products, and switching supermarkets in search of better value. What we’re seeing is a new generation of savvy shoppers who’ve turned their back on traditional, full-price supermarkets in favor of transparent, low prices, which is what we’re famous for," said Giles Hurley, head of the German group's British subsidiary, which plans to invest €1.4 billion to expand the store network.

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