Discount news

Aldi has launched a five year strategic plan to open 650 new stores in the US by 2018. Increasing pace of openings to 130 stores per year Aldi currently operates around 1,300 stores in the US, having first entered the market in 1976. To reach its new goal, it plans to accelerate the pace of openings to around 130 stores each year, up from an average of 80 stores per year which it has been a...

If the Norwegian Competition Authority approves cooperation between Norgesgruppen and ICA Norway, Coop Norge, Norway’s third largest retailer will partner with Rema 1000, the discount format of Reitangruppen. Initial cooperation between Norgesgruppen and ICA took effect in April On April 1st this year, the agreement between ICA Norway and Norgesgruppen’s wholesale company, Asko, took effect....

Netto Polska, part of Danish retailer, Dansk Supermarked Group may look to grow its store count in Poland to 1000 stores, according to a Polish grocery news website. Other discounters operate over double this number Kent Petersen, President of Netto Polska drew comparisons with other discount retailers. ‘If Biedronka can have about 2200 stores, we can surely have about 1000. I think that the...

Lidl Belgium has been treating customers to free meals in top quality restaurants in exchange for completed surveys about Lidl and food at the end of their meal. Lidl "wines and dines" customers to change perceptions All dishes were produced using Lidl products and graded by customers, and Lidl reported positive results, with dishes receiving excellent feedback. The new initiative lets custom...

Just 24 hours after its launch on Sunday 8th December, Aldi has sold out of the budget  tablet device it released in the UK as a "Special Buy" in time for Christmas. A competitively priced device Launched as a 'Special Buy', the Medion Lifetab is a 7" tablet PC priced at only £79.99 and comes with a free three year warranty. The 8GB Android-powered tablet product is described as a 'sleek, mul...

Poundstretcher has revealed new plans to reduce its number of high street stores by half, with 15 stores closing next year, in order to focus on retail parks.  Poundstretcher plans to increase store numbers While it will retain presence on the high street, the value retailer's primary focus for new store openings will be retail parks. over the next five years, Poundstretcher hopes to increase...

High street discounter 99p Stores is planning to expand over the next two years by opening 70 new shops in the UK.  Growth plans for 99p Stores With 240 stores currently in the estate, the group aims to grow to 310 stores by the end of 2015 using £25m in financing secured from lender Barclays. Helping the group to deliver its ambitions is former BHS manager, Tony Brown, who recently joine...

Aldi has teamed up with Michelin award-winning French chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli, to host a unique pop-up restaurant at private members' club Home House in London to show off its Christmas range. Discount retailer serves meals to enhance quality credentials The restaurant experience in London, held on Wednesday 4th December, consisted of a four meal course created with Aldi's products...

Portuguese-owned discount chain Biedronka has unveiled its plans to expand through the small store format in Poland. Small stores as an expansion vehicle The retailer’s expansion plan is based on a two-way approach. The new smaller stores will be predominantly opened in city centres, while Biedronka’s franchise stores will be a vehicle for expansion in rural areas. This would result in a...

In an interview published in The Grocer, Lidl's UK MD Ronny Gottschlich has provided new insight into the discounter's strategy and future priorities. Here we summarise his key points. Fresh increasingly key to the offer “This year fresh accounts for 40% of turnover. I can see that growing to 50%. The more customers see fresh, the more they buy. Overall, we have increased the space dedic...