The roadmap of Aldi, a German discounter, plans to have a total of 1,600 brands on French territory by 2030. For the moment, there are nearly 1,300 operated via fifteen regional companies which employ 16,000 employees in the country.
After having inaugurated five new stores in 2024, the north-east of France intends to strengthen this territorial network with eight new openings, scheduled for 2025, under the leadership of Aldi Marché Colmar which currently operates 67 stores in the two Alsatian departments, the Territory of Belfort, Haute-Saône as well as part of Doubs and Moselle.
Locations in Volgelsheim and Saverne
Located in Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine (Haut-Rhin) where its administrative services as well as a logistics warehouse are located, the structure which employs nearly 700 employees for a turnover of 324 million euros in 2023 plans , in the coming months, two openings in Volgelsheim (Haut-Rhin) as well as in Saverne (Bas-Rhin). Each of them should generate around ten hires for stores offering sales areas of nearly 1,000 m2 equipped with photovoltaic roofs in order to reduce energy costs.
Aldi in search of notoriety in France
The rest of the openings are, for the moment, not communicated by the global food distribution giant which is however eyeing the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg and the north of Alsace. The German discounter is also seeking to consolidate its reputation in France after the purchase, in 2020, of nearly 550 Leader Price stores from the distributor Casino, particularly in relation to its competitor Lidl. Especially since inflation has not necessarily benefited Aldi. “We remain in the development phase with the objective of gaining market share,” indicates Eric Stawiaski, director of the regional company Aldi Colmar.
-In Alsace, Aldi focuses on local
“We are very particular about the quality of the products we sell even if the price remains the determining factor for our customers in store,” he continues. Among Aldi's 800 suppliers, 600 of them are French. In Alsace, Aldi is soliciting 44 local agri-food manufacturers for an offer of 130 specific products distributed under its various distribution brands.
An upcoming extension to the Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine logistics site
At the same time, Aldi Colmar is investing today, for an amount still kept secret, in an extension of nearly 5,000 m2 of its 18,000 m logistics warehouse2 located in Sainte-Croix-en-Plaine, for the storage and distribution of its fresh products (fruits and vegetables). “This would allow us to have even greater fluidity in the distribution of our goods and to anticipate the opening of our future stores,” concludes Eric Stawiaski. This expansion should take place in 2025 and contribute to the objective of 325 million euros in turnover for Aldi Colmar.
