German discounter Aldi Süd is reported to be considering a new convenience concept, with the creation of a small format store in city centre locations, according to Lebensmittel Zeitung.
A trial store is reportedly set to open in mid-2018, and the retailer is said to be in talks with manufacturers at present.
The publication says that this would be "an excellent time" for Aldi Süd to launch a convenience store format. The discounter has already begun to extend its range of food-to-go items, such as sandwiches, snacks, and hot and chilled beverages.
Market Competition
This move would mark a significant change for Aldi Süd, which is known for expanding its network of similarly-formatted stores.
Last month, it was reported that the discounter was poised to invest around €3.5 billion to bolster its German store network by 2019.
However, market competition is high in Germany. In July, Edeka Südbayern launched its new convenience store format, Edeka Xpress, while Rewe has been expanding its 'Rewe To Go' network in partnership with Aral petrol stations.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
