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By Stefan Eckerieder
Sattledt, Venice – Aldi began its expansion in Italy in March, opening 30 branches in northern Italy in the last four months. By the end of the year, there will be 45 locations with 1,500 employees. All foreign affairs of the German Diskonters are controlled by the Austrian subsidiary Hofer.
Hofer Managing Director Günther Helm plans to open a few hundred branches in Italy in the next few years, he told reporters on Tuesday. Unlike major discount competitors, Lidl Aldi has not been active in Italy. This is also because the market share of discounts was low in Italy, especially in the food sector. This is due, among other things, to the fact that Italians spend about 450 euros per month on average for food about 100 euros more than the Austrians.
In recent years, the share of discounts in Italy is steadily increasing, which Aldi wants to use to stimulate the food market at least in northern Italy. However, we started "too late in Italy," says Helm. He has at least one starting advantage because the Aldi brand name sounds Italian. There are therefore 150 families in Italy, who bear the name of Aldi.
Michael Veiser, boss of Aldi Italy, is satisfied with the departure. "After only a few months on the market, we already have more than two million Italians among our customers." Aldi has adapted its product range to the Italian market. "Italians buy very consciously and attach great importance to the origin of food," says Veiser. The fruit and vegetable department is therefore also bigger than in Austria, there are many Italian brand products – such as Barilla – on the shelves. According to company information, about 75 percent of Aldi Italy's food comes from Italian suppliers, with a private share of 85 percent. With Red Bull, Egger beer, Spitz milk and Gmundner are also Austrian manufacturers of the range.
The Austrian subsidiary Aldi-Süd Hofer, based in Sattledt, also depends on company law, Aldi South's foreign investments in the United States. , Great Britain and Ireland. Hofer also manages Aldi's subsidiaries in Switzerland, Hungary and Slovenia. Overall, Hofer is responsible for approximately 100,000 employees in more than 4,000 branches around the world. In China, Aldi has launched so far only with an online store.
1968 took over Aldi Süd founded by Helmut Hofer, discounter Hofer in Austria. The company is the third largest food chain in Austria with a market share of 20.9%. In 2017, Hofer generated an annual turnover of 4.1 billion euros in this country with just under 480 agencies and over 11,000 employees.
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