Already strong in the North

In 1988, the first Aldi in France opened its doors to Croix. Since then, the brand has been able to establish its position in the region, as throughout France. In 2024, its stores have multiplied in the North – Pas-de-Calais. Histories have been enlarged or extended, and one has been created. In 2025, several openings are planned in the sector. The point.

Eight projects already scheduled for 2025

As a reminder, 2024 saw 12 Aldi real estate projects come to fruition. 11 stores have been renovated, including those in Calais, Arques, Fruges, Valenciennes and Wattrelos. One was created in Roncq, near the Belgian border. The objective is clear: to strengthen the network of the brand in the years to come, particularly in the south of Lille, where we find the only Ronchin store, reopened in its new version in September.

In 2025, eight projects have already been officially set in the region:

• Two creations, Proville (near Valenciennes) and Zuydcoote (near Bray-Dunes);
• Six other stores will be expanded or renovated: Marquionau Touquet – Merlimonthas Halluinhas Louvre and to Calais. There will also be something new in the Somme, Abbeville.

“We have other ideas in mind, but it is still too early to communicate on them,” confides François Ryckelynck, Director of the regional company of Aldi Bois-Grenier/Cuincy.

Convince consumers with impressive impact

“At Aldi, we are the cheapest in fruit and vegetables. And we are ultra-competitive for the rest,” assures the representative of the German brand. What allows them to be so good? Several things: “We have 90% of our own brand productseverything is centralized, we order in bulk. We also have perfect control over our logistics: it is our delivery people who supply the stores, in our trucks…”

We are a global brand, with a powerful strike force.

New models in city centers

Alongside the modernization of its historic stores (to help both improve the brand's image and improve on the CSR dimension), a new strategy is being developed: the brand is targeting city centers. “We tried it in Lille, in Solférino in 2022. It was daring, and we went beyond our classic formats,” explained François Ryckelynck to Lille news. Indeed, Aldi stores which are approximately 1,000 m² at the base. Here we are on the 500 m². “It’s a different model, but it works very well, especially with students. »

Inflation, beneficial for the discount giant

“We have a very loyal customer base. Those who come to us come back because they see that they have quality at a low price. But it is not easy to attract new customers,” says François Ryckelynck. In times of inflation, the latter has expanded, similar to what other discounters are seeing. A context on which Aldi can (and must) surf. And this is logically what is done. In particular by “constant control of the quality of our products”, exemplifies François Ryckelynck, but also by their renewal. In 2025, 200 references will be added to the catalog. This in biscuits, hygiene, fruits and vegetables, fresh and halal products, in particular.

In addition to the national brands popular with the French for essential products, the discount giant is keen to establish itself locally. “We propose a beautiful regional range. Each region has its specificities. People appreciate that about us. Here we offer local beer, rhubarb jam or even Belgian productswhich Northerners love very much. Which is not found in the South, for example. »

An Aldi 15 minutes from every resident

Aldi has an ambitious objective: to be 15 minutes from each resident. “Lots of projects are possible,” relates the brand representative. Moreover, the two regional warehouses, located in Bois-Grenier and Cuincy, still have margin on the supermarkets that they can stock. “In Bois-Grenier, we deliver to 88 stores, we can go up to 140.” The warehouse has also, at the end of 2024, been enlarged, from 25,000 ^m2 at 52,000 ^m2. Enough to offer great prospects for development, certainly.

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