Aldi Overtakes Co-Op To Become Uk's Fifth Largest Grocer

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38890977

This is surprising, given Aldi's few store against the Co-ops so many !

[dave50]

The Co-op is quite expensive compared to Aldi, that probably explains it.

[mikey4444]

Andy....don't get me wrong....I am a big fan of the Aldi and especially Lidl, and I also visit my village Co-op every day.

But here in Swansea, there are approx. 18 Co-ops, and only 2 Aldi.

[youngmafbog]

Are the /co-ops more 'express' shops? They are round here.

[mikey4444]

I have looked at the link again and I can't quite work out what "market share" really means. Is the quantity of goods sold, the profit that those sales make, or something else ?

But its an interesting phenomena all the same. The type of person you now see shopping in the German-owned supermarkets, is very different from a few years ago.....more waxed jackets and Range Rover, then Parkas and Mondeo !

[gingejbee]

Not surprising at all to me...given that the Aldi stores that I see are always very busy and the only Co-op I know of locally has more staff than customers.

[hc4361]

In my area there is two Aldi, one Lidl, one Morrison's, one Tesco, one Sainsbury, one Waitrose and one run down Co-Op, so I'm not surprised.
That Co-op is soon to be an Asda

[Mamyalynne]

Unless the Co-op is the only shop accessible most will pop in for a few items , in Aldi most shoppers exit with a trolley half or more than half full.

[ummmm]

I'm surprised our local co-op is still going strong. It used to be the only supermaket within walking distance but now there two Tesco express , Spar and a Sainsbury's.

[youngmafbog]

Not seen any Range rovers in our local Aldi.

Personally I cant stand them, not enough tills and the product range is very poor. In addition they dont deliver (well not your groceries).

[hc4361]

There may be fewer tills but they are efficient and I never have to wait long.
Home delivery is a huge loss for the supermarkets that provide it and we all subsidise it when we pay for our shopping.

[Zacs-Master]

'we all subsidise it when we pay for our shopping'

surely not if you're one of the ones who gets home delivery?

[mikey4444]

Going slightly off topic.....we now have a super new Lidl !

Its twice the size, more spacious and airy than the old one, and it has 6 self-service tills. It was built on the site of the old one and has about 20% more parking, but its chockablock on a Saturday morning.

True, it doesn't deliver and it doesn't have a cafe. But the existing Tesco, 200 meters away is now much emptier since it opened. I know what one I would rather shop in !

[youngmafbog]

//Home delivery is a huge loss for the supermarkets//

I doubt that very much or they would stop it. I wouldnt be surprised if they have found some way of burying profit to pay less tax through it though.

[hc4361]

Youngmafbog, it is true and the supermarkets are frightened to stop it after the huge investments they've made in to the scheme.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-3828648/Deliveries-hit-Big-Four-supermarkets-500m-lose-5-7-online-order.html

[gingejbee]

Aldi has free, very quick delivery on it's non-food items and the important consumable....wine. I ordered 18 bottles last week at 3pm Tuesday...delivered 10am Wednesday...at no additional cost.

[ummmm]

I can't see how home delivery is a huge loss.

[Zacs-Master]

Tesco delivery saves us a fortune (not susceptible to the tricks and temptations used by supermarkets). We pay about £4 a week and we can have multiple deliveries, have my mother's shopping delivered and next week when we're away, we can get a delivery to the cottage.

[mikey4444]

My local Co-op, one of the bigger ones, restricts its Home Deliveries to Thursday and Friday, due to slack demand.

[hc4361]

ummmm, the cost of website development and maintaining the website, the vans, the crates, the trollies, the cost of the picker, the packer and the delivery itself.
It's been estimated that the true cost of each delivery is in the region of £10 and few people pay anything like that, and the average loss is £4 per home delivery.
https://www.retail-week.com/sectors/grocery/supermarkets-losing-300m-a-year-from-online-grocery/5080540.article

[mikey4444]

HC....I have seen these figures before, and you are right. Its my opinion that the main supermarkets are only continuing with Home Delivery, to maintain market share. They would quietly get rid of the service if they could.