After the announcement that French retailer Fnac is pulling out of the Greek market, German-owned Aldi discount food stores has also decided to exit the market by the end of the year. Aldi has managed to secure a large part of the market in all the markets it has entered, but wasn't able to win the 20% bet it had set for Greece.
The hard competition Aldi received, mainly by Lidl, as well as its slow expansion rate, were two of the main problems the group faced. Moreover, the group's sales point choices are questionable, while for many months it faced trouble with its network expansion, frequently changing associates and heads of departments, and generally moving slowly compared to the aggressive expansion exhibited in other markets.
Responsible for part of Aldi's network expansion in Greece was Dimand development consultants, which had opened new offices in Thessaloniki for this purpose.
In the Attica region, Aldi has opened stores in Nea Makri, Aspropyrgos, Tavros and despite the very good prices it offers and the quality of its products, didn't manage to attract customers from other areas. In contrast, Lidl and Carrefour have secured sales points in key locations and central avenues and thus attract a large number of customers.
The German retailer has already launched 36 selling points around Greece, employs over 700 people and collaborates with dozens of Greek small and large scale manufacturers, which will receive a hard blow.
Apart from the stores, Aldi had recently completed a large distribution center in Thessaloniki and planned a second one in Patras.
The group's first store in Greece opened at the end of 2008 and its plans included over 50 selling points in total.
22.07.2010
