01.Aldi makes a change
Responding to CHOICE’s concerns on Aldi’s price promise exclusions, reported earlier this month, the supermarket has clarified its uniform pricing policy.
In a letter to CHOICE, Managing Director of Buying Stefan Kopp states that Aldi has amended their policy to reflect the fact that weekly specials are excluded. “We can listen, take feedback and prove ourselves to be the transparent, open and reasonable grocery retailer we pride ourselves to be,” writes Mr Kopp.
Until the change, which is now live on Aldi’s website, the company’s uniform pricing policy extended to all groceries, excluding fresh fruit, vegetables and regional bakery lines. But no mention was made of discounted special buys, which CHOICE found fluctuated in price depending on store location. We urged a change in the policy to reflect this, arguing that as Aldi identifies itself as a grocery retailer, consumers may not differentiate between grocery and non-grocery lines in-store.
CHOICE CEO Nick Stace welcome's Aldi's positive response. "'We are known for our brickbats and occasionally bouquets, but rarely does a bouquet arrive so quickly after a brickbat! So all credit to Aldi for responding with lightening speed to clarifying their pricing policy."
"This shows that we were on the money, that retailers take what we say seriously and that as a result we can report a win for consumers." says Mr Stace.