A report from Placer.ai found that discount grocery chains Aldi, Lidl and Grocery Outlet are rapidly expanding and becoming household names as consumers are squeezed by high prices. The report, called “Grocery Deep Dive, May 2022: Growth Opportunities Amidst Rising Prices and Shifting Preferences,” reviews the recent performance of the aforementioned grocers.
Lidl
According to the report, the grocery sector has seen a dip in foot traffic, but that’s not the case for Lidl, whose visits are rising. Placer.ai thinks the increase in store traffic is due to a combination of low prices and increased store fleet. In comparing Lidl stores in Philadelphia and New York’s five boroughs to ShopRite and Whole Foods stores in the same markets, Placer.ai determined that Lidl outperformed both chains in overall traffic each week since January 3, 2022, the first week traffic was studied.
Aldi
A first quarter 2022 comparison of Aldi stores in Houston and Baltimore to other top grocery chains in those markets revealed that Aldi consistently outperformed its competitors and the local grocery sector. Placer.ai suggests that Aldi’s low prices likely played a role in attracting high visit volumes.
Grocery Outlet
Placer.ai found that Grocery Outlet stores in California and Washington – compared to similar stores in those states – had better foot traffic than many counterparts each week of the year during the first quarter. Grocery Outlet purchases products from brands that have excess inventory, seasonal closeouts or packaging changes, and says it prices those items 40% – 70% below competitors. Each local store owner chooses products from the company’s inventory in order to personalize the store to its local community.