ALDI, the international retailer with German roots, is set to debut their first China stores in Shanghai on June 7, which they’re celebrating with activities and special opening-day promotions on their already affordable products this Friday.

The stores will be located in Jing’an and Minhang districts respectively, and will stock over 1,300 products spanning 15 categories including fresh produce, snacks, drinks, alcohol, and personal care products, as well as Ready-to-Eat and Ready-to-Cook meals.

While the outlets represent ALDI’s first brick-and-mortar presence in Asia, the supermarket is actually more than a century old. Launched in Essen, Germany in 1913, ALDI has since grown into an international retailer with more than 10,000 stores around the world. It entered China in 2017 as a cross border e-commerce platform on Tmall Global, and a regular Tmall store soon followed.

For China, ALDI’s first two branches are positioned as pilot stores where retail strategies can be trialed and tested, then quickly adjusted according to customer feedback and data. Both locations will also blend online and offline retail experiences such as a scan and go function on WeChat that lets you skip the checkout line, and a new ALDI WeChat mini-program – launching on June 7, the same day as the store openings – that will offer instant delivery within three kilometers of each store.

Similar to their stores around the world, the majority of products at ALDI are exclusive brands that are handpicked by their experts, giving them maximum control over the quality and safety of its products. Sourced both locally and from around the world, products include beef and fresh milk imported directly from Australia, wine from France’s prestigious Bordeaux region, and craft beer brewed in Hangzhou with water from Qiandao Lake, hops from the US, and yeast from France.

Hungry? ALDI will also have Ready-to-Eat meals such as the German favorite pork knuckle with sauerkraut and roasted potato, Sichuan-style spicy crayfish salad, the Berliner Bao, which combines German-style sausage and sauerkraut in a traditional Chinese steamed bun, and ice cream imported from Australia as well as locally produced flavors such as black sesame and ginger with white chocolate. There’s also a bar area in both stores where you can eat these goodies on the spot.

You can try many of these products and more at the grand opening of ALDI’s stores on June 7. Exclusive promotions only on that day include a bottle of sparkling wine for ¥29, tall cans of Karlskrone craft beer for ¥3, and their signature Berliner Bao for only ¥1 if you sign up as their member. Membership also brings other benefits: tokens that let you play games, paint mascots, and create your own potpourri pouch at the openings, and a redeemable ¥100 gift bag if you spend over ¥200 (stocks are limited). Head down to either one of ALDI’s stores this Friday to check it out.

WHAT

Grand opening of ALDI stores

WHEN

June 7, Friday, 7am to 9pm

WHERE

Jing’an Sports Center Store 静安体育中心店

1/F, 428 Jiangning Road, Jing’an District

静安区江宁路428号1楼

Gumei Life Shopping Plaza Store 古美生活广场店

1/F, 1300 Longming Road, Minhang District

闵行区龙茗路1300号古美生活广场1楼