Discount retailer Aldi Süd is set to open a chain of service stations beside its stores in Germany, after striking a deal with petrol station operator FE-Trading, according to German newspaper TZ.
The publication reports that the new partnership covers a pilot project for ten stations around Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart, which are expected to open by the end of they year.
FE-Trading already has a similar agreement with Aldi Süd's sister retailer Hofer in Austria, with 79 stations under the brand Diskont.
Mutually Beneficial
"This is a very good example of companies coming together to create mutually beneficial synergies," said Daniel Johansson, retail analyst at Lebenzmittel Zeitung.
"Aldi Süd wants to become a one-stop shopping destination and petrol stations are an important add-on service to attract more car owners and shoppers on bulk-buying missions.
"The affinity between the two is also perfect in the sense that FE-Trading is prepared to outbid competitors’ prices just like Aldi Süd, which matches shopper expectations of the Aldi experience."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
