Aldi expands delivery and curbside service in U.S.
Aldi U.S. is developing a new omnichannel delivery and curbside pickup offering.
The fast-growing discount grocer is partnering with digital commerce platform Spryker Systems to develop a new online food and grocery shopping experience for the U.S. market, offering grocery delivery or curbside pickup for its U.S. shoppers.
Currently, Aldi is testing this new digital commerce platform, based on Spryker technology, with a select group of U.S. customers. The grocer plans to roll out its omnichannel delivery/curbside pickup service nationally in a phased approach.
“Our partnership with Spryker will allow our shoppers another way to access the incredible value they expect from Aldi,” said Scott Patton, Aldi VP of national buying.
“Spryker’s composable and headless commerce platform offers a best-of-breed approach, providing enterprises with the flexibility and scalability needed to adjust to a constantly changing market, accelerating digital growth and transformation, and providing consumers with a more seamless and simple shopping experience,” says Boris Lokschin, co-founder and CEO at Spryker.
Aldi is no stranger to offering online delivery and curbside pickup services. The retailer has been partnering with grocery technology company Instacart to provide same-day home delivery of online purchases since 2017. Since November 2019, its Instacart online delivery service has included the availability of alcohol.
And in 2020, Aldi began accepting federal Electronic Benefit Transfer and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (EBT SNAP) as payment for online orders filled via Instacart’s same-day delivery and pickup services.
Aldi began moving its curbside pickup program out of pilot into widespread rollout in spring 2020 pandemic drove a surge in demand for curbside services.
On the Aldi U.S. e-commerce site or mobile app, customers can find the nearest store offering curbside service, fill their shopping cart, and select pickup time and location at checkout. Designated parking spots are clearly marked and an employee will load groceries into their car.
Aldi’s full product assortment is available for curbside pickup. The company has previously said it will expand its curbside grocery pickup offering from 1,200 to 1,500 stores by the end of this year to make shopping quick and easy for customers.
The retailer is rolling out its expanded delivery and curbside offering as it pursues aggressive national expansion plans. Aldi intends to add 150 new stores and open new regional distribution centers across the country, as well as 564,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Loxley, Ala., by the end of 2022. Its U.S. growth plans for 2022 include 20 additional planned to open throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Aldi is one of America's fastest-growing retailers. With 2,200 stores across 38 states, Aldi is on track to become the third-largest grocery retailer by store count by the end of 2022. The grocer has also been number one for price according to the Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index Report for five years running.