How Aldi reckons it beats big supermarkets

Aldi is claiming a big increase in customers as Australians look to save on grocery prices amid the cost of living crisis.

According to new figures, more Australians are now shopping at the German-headquartered supermarket than ever before, adding significant sales growth to the company.

The number of customers shopping at Aldi stores grew 4.2 per cent in the last quarter of 2022.

“We have seen a shift in customer purchasing behaviour. Existing customers are shopping with us more frequently, and an increasing number of Australians are looking to ALDI for their grocery needs,” Mr Lack said.

“We have seen increases in what we call the ‘centre of the plate’ – or proteins and vegetables – as Australians try to reduce pressure on their household budget without compromising on the quality of the family meal.”

The new grocery shopping data, compiled and analyse, by accounting firm PwC shows the supermarket’s customers have shared in $3.1bn in annual savings,

The data also revealed that Aldi places downward pressure on grocery prices that has saved non-Aldi shoppers $675m in 2022 and $7.8bn since opening its first store in Australia more than 20 years ago.

“We aim to cut out unnecessary costs and pass these savings onto customers,” Aldi managing director Jordan Lack said.

“This has never been tested more than it was in the past year, and we’re proud that we’ve been able to maintain our price leadership at a time when Australians need it most.”

That’s been reflected in significant sales growth of 13.2 per cent year-on-year in that quarter.

In comparison, sales revenue for Coles grew by 3.9 per cent to $20.8bn in the second half of 2022.

Woolworths sales grew by 4.0 per cent, reaching $33.2bn in the same time period.

Customers switching some or all of their spend to Aldi from other retailers account for 73 per cent of growth, while existing Aldi shoppers increasing their spend at the supermarket accounted for 25 per cent of growth.

Customers shopping at Aldi for the first time accounted for 2 per cent of growth.