Aldi announced plans to start online sales in the UK, as the German discounter steps up its assault on the British grocery market.
Wine by the case will be available for home delivery or collection, starting early in 2016, the retailer said in a statement Monday as it reported a 31 per cent increase in 2014 revenue. That will be followed by special offers of non-food items in the spring.
Aldi's move into e-commerce puts it in closer competition with the established UK grocers and is a departure from the no-frills strategy that has seen the discounter grab market share from its larger rivals. Along with Lidl, closely-held Aldi has shaken up the UK grocery market. Its rapid growth has sparked a price war in the industry as the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's strive to win back customers.
UK revenue in the 12 months ended 31 December rose to £6.89 billion, fueled by new store openings. Operating profit fell by 4.1 per cent to £260.3 million due to price cuts and increased staff costs.
Aldi UK is now Britain’s sixth-largest supermarket chain, with a 5.6 per cent share of the market, according to researcher Kantar Worldpanel. The company has 598 UK stores, with plans to expand to 1,000 by 2022.
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