China: Aldi to make debut with online business

German discount retailer Aldi has announced plans to expand into China through online channels, according to an article in Retail Week.

The company will reportedly start off by selling a selected range of products to Chinese consumers online as soon as mid 2017, although it is not said to have plans to invest in bricks-and-mortar stores as of yet. Aldi is said to be planning to market products that are, for the most part, ambient groceries and wine which will be sourced from Australia via the firm’s existing suppliers.

Aldi’s move into online retail in China follows its recent foray into the e-commerce channel in the UK, where the company has set up a virtual store selling wines by the case.

Commenting on the planned move, the company is quoted as saying: "We know there is a strong demand among Chinese consumers for Australian manufactured products and our goal is to provide a competitively priced alternative for shoppers seeking quality groceries”.

Source: Retail Week