With over 10,000 stores globally and $100+ billion in annual revenue, Aldi has quietly become one of the largest and most profitable grocery retailers in the world. Since opening its first US store in 1976, Aldi has expanded its American footprint to over 2,200 locations across 38 states, with plans to operate 2,500 stores by the end of 2022.
Aldi‘s obsessive focus on efficiency, cost-cutting, and delivering unbeatable prices to shoppers has fueled its incredible growth. Let‘s take an in-depth look at how Aldi‘s unique business model and behind-the-scenes operations allow it to thrive in the cutthroat grocery business.
Aldi‘s Nerve Center: Inside Its US Headquarters
All of Aldi‘s US operations are directed from its sprawling headquarters campus in Batavia, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago. Opened in 1991, the office complex has expanded to over 320,000 square feet as Aldi has rapidly scaled up its American footprint. Over 1,200 employees work at the Batavia headquarters across all key corporate functions – marketing, buying, accounting, logistics, real estate, IT, and more.
The Batavia headquarters is where Aldi makes pivotal decisions on product selection, purchasing, pricing, promotions, and store growth plans. Aldi‘s expert buyers scour the world to curate the ideal assortment of high-quality, low-priced private label goods that will keep its stores packed with delighted shoppers. They use Aldi‘s immense scale to drive hard bargains and secure the lowest possible prices from suppliers.
Aldi‘s Batavia nerve center is supported by 25 divisional headquarters and over 100 warehouses spread across its operating regions in the eastern, southern, and midwestern US. Divisional headquarters manage store operations, pricing, and local marketing for 50-100 stores each. An extensive network of warehouses and distribution centers, often located near divisional offices, keep Aldi‘s stores stocked with a steady supply of fresh produce, meats, dairy, packaged foods and home goods.
Aldi Runs an Incredibly Lean Ship
Aldi‘s ability to sell quality products for 20-40% less than competitors is driven by its incredibly streamlined and efficient operations. Aldi stores typically have a mere 12,000-15,000 square feet of selling space, far smaller than the 40,000 square foot supermarket average. A typical Aldi carries just 1,400 of the fastest-moving grocery items (called "stock keeping units" or SKUs in industry parlance) compared to 40,000 SKUs at a traditional supermarket.
By limiting selection to the most popular items in each category, Aldi sells a staggering $10+ million per year out of each small store. That earns Aldi an estimated $1,230 in sales per square foot, crushing Walmart‘s $600 per square foot and Whole Foods‘ $980 per square foot. With far lower rent, utilities, and labor costs than larger rivals, Aldi‘s small stores are incredibly profitable.
Aldi stores are designed and laid out to maximize efficiency for both stockers and shoppers. Products are displayed in their original cardboard shipping boxes to minimize stocking labor. Barcode labels are enlarged and placed on multiple sides of products to speed up scanning at the register. Shoppers bag their own groceries and "rent" carts for a quarter deposit to eliminate expensive bagging and cart attendant labor.
Thanks to their compact size and efficiency, Aldi stores only require 3-5 employees per shift. An average supermarket requires 25-30 workers to run a much larger store. With lower labor and occupancy costs, Aldi needs far lower gross margins than rivals. While conventional grocers require 25-30% gross margins, Aldi thrives on margins of just 14-15%, passing savings on to customers.
Aldi‘s Powerful Private Label Strategy
Another key driver of Aldi‘s unrivaled value proposition is its heavy reliance on private label products. Over 90% of the items in Aldi‘s small assortment are its own private labels, compared to just 18% at a typical US grocer. By cutting out the middleman and working directly with manufacturers, Aldi‘s private label goods are 20-50% cheaper than comparable name brands.
But cheap certainly doesn‘t mean low quality at Aldi. By limiting selection in each category, Aldi can afford to make its private labels outstanding. Many of Aldi‘s exclusive brands are produced by the same manufacturers that make name brand products, but are reformulated to Aldi‘s exacting specifications.
Aldi‘s private labels regularly win taste tests and quality awards. For example, Aldi‘s Specially Selected Marinara Sauce beat out rivals costing more than twice as much in a Bon Appetit magazine blind taste test. And more than 50 of Aldi‘s baby, kid, and adult products were named 2021 Parents Favorites by Parents Magazine. By focusing on quality as well as price, Aldi builds customer loyalty and trust in its brands.
Aldi‘s Appeal Goes Far Beyond Just Budget Shoppers
For many years, Aldi was predominantly seen as a haven for extremely price-sensitive shoppers on very restricted budgets. But Aldi‘s unmatched combination of high quality and impossibly low prices have attracted legions of more affluent customers in recent years. Between 2015-2018, Aldi saw a 26% jump in households with annual incomes over $50,000 shopping its stores.
The appeal of Aldi‘s high-quality private labels transcends income brackets. Families of all means are happy to pay less for products that meet or exceed the big national brands. A 2021 Susquehanna University study found that Aldi now draws middle and upper-middle income shoppers at rates similar to Walmart and Kroger.
Aldi has invested heavily in marketing to reach these upmarket consumers. Once known for its minimalist, purely price-focused advertising, Aldi launched splashy television and social media campaigns highlighting its fresh produce, organic foods, and award-winning baby products. It even began selling trendy health-focused items like kombucha, cold-pressed juices, and kale chips to compete with pricier grocers.
Aldi Leans into E-Commerce and Sustainability
As Aldi plots its path forward, it is leaning heavily into e-commerce and sustainability initiatives to broaden its appeal. While 90%+ of Aldi‘s sales come from in-store shopping, it now offers grocery delivery in over 10,000 ZIP codes nationwide through partnerships with Instacart and Shipt. Aldi also rolled out curbside pickup to nearly all of its US stores in 2021.
On the sustainability front, Aldi aims to convert 100% of its packaging to reusable, recyclable or compostable materials by 2025. It is also expanding its selection of natural and organic food, removing synthetic ingredients and supporting sustainable sourcing. These initiatives are a smart way for Aldi to attract younger, socially conscious shoppers.
"We‘re in the midst of aggressive coast-to-coast expansion, on track to become the third-largest US grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022," said Aldi US CEO Jason Hart in a recent interview. "No matter how much we grow, we will stay true to our mission of offering the lowest possible prices and making grocery shopping as easy as possible for the 40+ million customers who choose Aldi each month."
Indeed, Aldi‘s future looks bright as it continues to disrupt the grocery industry with its revolutionary business model. By controlling the entire supply chain and driving efficiency at every step, Aldi has created an ultralow-cost machine that competitors simply can‘t match. As it marches toward 2,500 stores and beyond, expect Aldi to keep delighting deal-seeking shoppers for decades to come.
