Aldi wants to follow Lidl’s lead with clothing line

Aldi is set to “drop” its first-ever in-house merchandise collection in France on Saturday. Under the name Aldi Studio, the discount retailer is launching a limited-time collection that includes T-shirts, caps, hats, socks, flip-flops, and water bottles.

Hoping for a buzz

Who wouldn’t want socks in blue, red, white, and yellow, featuring Aldi’s big “A”? The collection uses the supermarket chain’s well-known branding for its own “fan collection.” With low prices (ranging from 1.99 euros to 5.99 euros) and limited availability, Aldi aims to both drive store traffic and boost brand visibility. The items will be available starting July 18 in approximately 1,300 French stores.

With this approach, Aldi is following the example of its competitor Lidl. In 2020, that chain created a buzz with sneakers in its own brand colors. Shortly after their launch, the sneakers appeared on secondhand platforms for much higher prices. Lidl subsequently released clothing collections and collaborations more frequently.

New form of marketing

Logo-branded clothing generates social media buzz for the discounters and effectively turns customers into brand ambassadors. For retailers, fashion also offers a new way to differentiate themselves. Margins on groceries are under pressure, and price promotions alone are increasingly failing to build brand loyalty. With limited-edition collections, chains can create a sense of scarcity, appeal to new target groups, and broaden their image.

Aldi had previously experimented with similar products in Belgium and other countries. The French launch will now determine whether Aldi Studio remains a one-time summer campaign or evolves into a recurring product line.