German discounter Aldi closed 2023 with 177 stores in the Italian regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and Emilia-Romagna.
In the last week of December, Aldi opened what it described as its ‘largest store’ in Italy, in Milan’s Precotto district.
Encompassing 2,000 square metres of shopping area spread across two levels, the new store in Viale Monza offers a convenient location near the Precotto metro stop, connected by several bus and tram lines and featuring a 56-space car park.
The Aldi store is located inside a gallery, with a bar, hairdresser, beautician, optician, and laundry services.
Digital Services
Aldi notes that it implements ‘smart and sustainable’ designs in its stores, featuring digital services such as the WhatsApp flyer for updates and promotions, digital labels to reduce paper waste, and self-checkout lanes for faster service.
Aldi is moving away from stand-alone stores and opting to integrate stores into pre-existing structures, as it seeks to revitalise communities without consuming new land.
Aldi’s product offering includes around 2,000 Italian products at affordable prices, including 130 fresh fruit and vegetable SKUs and 30 private-label brands.
Since October 2023, Aldi has guaranteed to offer a selection of over 200 essential products, such as pasta, meat, milk, cured meats, cheeses and fish, at a fixed price, even as inflation rises.
This campaign will continue until March 2024 and will include over 300 products in total.
Michael Gscheidlinger, country managing director of Aldi Italy, commented, “Twenty twenty-three [2023] has allowed us to consolidate the pact of trust built over the years with Italian consumers, thanks to an always-convenient offer that has been able to offer real answers in times of need.”
