Aldi turns gaze towards Italy

Aldi is ready to conquer the Italian market next month: it will instantly open ten new stores in the Southern European country, alongside its first distribution center near Verona.

45 stores by the end of the year

Bagnolo Mella, Cantù, Castellanza, Curno, Peschiera del Garda, Piacenza, Rovereto, San Donà die Piave, Spilimbergo and Trento: those are the ten cities and villages that will welcome an Aldi store. Its main office will be located in Verona, close to its distribution center in Oppeano.

It will not stop at ten, because it intends to open more than 45 stores and double its workforce by the end of the year. Its primary focus is Northern Italy and Tuscany. It is still looking for ideal locations, where it can build stores between 1,000 and 1,500 sqm, with at least room for 80 cars.

Busy market

It is quite surprising that Aldi has not entered the Italian market any sooner, because there are already an estimated 4,500 discount stores in the country. Competitor Lidl arrived on its shores in 1992 and trails Italian Eurospin, which is the largest discounter.

They may be other major changes coming to Aldi because there are allegedly talks between Aldi Nord and Süd about a reunion. Aldi split in the sixties because Theo and Karl Albrecht failed to come to an agreement regarding tobacco sales. Ever since, they have operated independently.