The largest Aldi in the world opens in the German Ruhr area. The XXL shop covers an area of around 2,000 square metres, twice as large as the average.
Two stores in one
Saturday in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, Aldi Süd’s largest branch to date will open its doors. The supermarket – or rather hypermarket – has almost 2,000 square metres of sales space, which is about twice as large as an average discounter’s store. The product range remains the familiar one, but above all there is significantly more space.
The store is the result of the amalgamation of two properties: the former Aldi branch in the Mannesmannallee – which has existed since 1993 – and the adjoining property, which increased sales space by some 300 square metres. After the conversions, the discount supermarket now covers a total area of 1,940 square metres.
Herb garden and baking ovens
The expansion is made possible by a new, flexible concept for the layout of the supermarkets, which makes it also possible to open small city stores in town centres where space is scarce. The smallest Aldi Süd can thus be found in Nuremberg, covering an area of 400 square metres.
In Mülheim, customers will find a self-proclaimed XXL supermarket with seven aisles over a total width of 30 metres and a length of 60 metres. The fresh produce department in particular is generously proportioned: in total, the shop has more than 70 metres of cooling racks.
Also new is the ‘Meine Backwelt’ range (to be translated as ‘my baking world’), with all kinds of bakery products that are baked several times a day by employees on site. Although the herb garden is perhaps the biggest eye-catcher: six different types of herbs are grown and harvested in the store.
