Aldi UK has posted record sales of £6.89bn in its last financial year – an increase of 31% on the previous year’s £5.27bn and the equivalent of £31m in extra sales revenue every week during 2014. Operating profit at the firm fell marginally from £271.4m in 2013 to £260.3m in 2014, a drop which the company attributes to increased investment in the business.
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The discount supermarket chain said it would start its online service by selling wine by the case, and then add non-food offers in the spring.
Matthew Barnes, CEO of Aldi UK, said: “As the grocery market continues to evolve, our unique model, operational efficiency, private ownership and financial strength mean we’re able to keep investing in our business – from people and presence to products and prices”.
The UK could be set to gain another major online supermarket following an announcement from Aldi that it is readying an ecommerce push. During the same period, Aldi said it had invested a total of £878m in its UK expansion, following record capital expenditure of £438m in 2014 in new stores and regional distribution centres.
Aldi and rival Lidl are the fastest growing grocers in the UK sector. The company has 598 UK stores, with plans to expand to 1,000 by 2022.
“They show that even Aldi can’t escape the clutches of the ongoing supermarket price war”.
“Going against the status quo with limited stock keeping units, strong ties with local communities and more smaller high street stores with cheaper lighting, simpler interiors and more efficient check outs, Aldi leads the way in terms of optimising its systems to save on time and money, while still keeping customers happy”.
Aldi’s move into e-commerce puts it in closer competition with the established UK grocers and is a departure from the no-frills strategy that has seen the discounter grab market share from its larger rivals. Aldi said it is on track to open 65 stores this year, up from 54 in 2014.
