Aldi Nord has appointed Torsten Hufnagel as it new chief executive, approximately a month after the surprise departure of previous CEO Marc Heussinger.
Hufnagel, 45, has served as Heussinger's deputy at Aldi Nord since 2015, and was one of the leading figures in the group's modernisation programme, dubbed 'Aniko', which has been implemented across its estate over the past year.
Store Modernisation
According to news portal WDR, the appointment of Hufnagel as chief executive is a 'clear signal' that the modernisation course that Aldi Nord has been on is to be continued and perhaps even intensified.
The retailer is aiming to have refurbished all 2,250 outlets it operates in Germany by next year, and then focus on the 2,400 or so stores it runs in other markets.
While the reasons for Heussinger's departure last month have not fully been revealed, it is understood that he had a falling out with the controlling family of the Aldi Nord business over the rate at which the modernisation programme was being implemented.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
