Why less and less people go to Aldi
Discounter in crisis
The classic supermarkets are booming, Aldi and Lidl run away the customers. This is what the current consumer index of the "Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung" (GfK) says. The discounters recently recorded a decline in sales of 0.6 percent. What sounds like little goes into the billions in absolute numbers.
Why is that? 5 questions to Dr. med. Wolfgang Adlwarth, Consumer Expert at GfK:
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde: Why do people prefer to go to the supermarket again, although everything is more expensive there than Aldi?
Wolfgang Adlwarth: Since the middle of the last decade, the trend has been towards more quality for consumers - and away from the price. In 2005, 41 percent said that they pay attention to quality, today it is already 51 percent.
How come?
The trend is generally towards more quality, sustainability, organic and regionality. The discounters are also trying to participate by offering more branded products.
Do people have more money than before?
They have more money and are willing to spend it. Since the economic crisis five or six years ago, we have been booming. We have a steadily increasing workforce. There are more and more dual earner households, and the unemployment rate is low. The confidence of consumers has reached historic highs.
For that people have less time.
Right. And buy less time for reasons of time. In the past you went to Aldi for your basic needs, to Edeka for something special and then to the baker and butcher. Today we are just looking for a shop. And that benefits the supermarkets with their large assortment. They have done their homework and offer everything from fine steak to kitchen roll.
Does not the more pleasant ambience in the supermarkets also play a role?
This is also an important reason for the renaissance of the supermarkets. That's why the discounters are also trying to offer more customer service - a nicer atmosphere or customer toilets. They are becoming more and more like the classic supermarkets.
