China: Aldi to open two bricks and mortar stores

German discount retailer Aldi is planning to open two physical stores in China, according to reports in Retail Detail and the South China Morning Post.

The stores are to be located be in the Shanghai region (in the Jing’an and Minhang districts), supplied by a new distribution centre also to be built in the locality.

Aldi has been present in China as an online store since 2017 via Alibaba’s online retail platform Tmall. Last year it launched an online flagship store on the site.

“Our first stores in China needed to be an offering that fits in with Chinese consumers’ behaviour”, the South China Morning Post quotes Aldi as saying. “We also wanted our first stores to be pilot stores – for us to trial and test retail approaches, for us to better understand our customers”.

Sources report that the German chain is planning to open between 50 and 100 physical stores in China in the medium term, as well as to construct a central warehouse in the country.

Source: South China Morning Post / Retail Detail