FIRST LOOK: How ALDI and Lidl Keep Attracting Shoppers
Two grocers share three of the same letters in their pithy names and a mutual German heritage. As it turns out, ALDI and Lidl US have some growth patterns in common, too.
New research from location analytics firm Placer.ai, shared first exclusively with Progressive Grocer, shows that these grocery chains have experienced higher year-over-year (YoY) visits compared to the overall grocery segment so far in 2025. Traffic at ALDI spiked 8.9% YoY during the first quarter, while visits to Lidl stores rose 4.2% in that same time frame. Underscoring the chain-wide trend, average visits per location were also up, with a 4.7% gain at ALDI and a 1.9% bump at Lidl.
In a new Placer.ai report, “ALDI and Lidl’s Winning Formula,” content writer Bracha Arnold noted that that the increase in visits per location shows that their respective stores are driving sustained demand. Arnold also pointed out how the discount grocers may be on a similar trajectory but are forging their own paths.
ALDI, for its part, is pursuing an ambitious growth plan for the next three years, reflected in its recent march into the Las Vegas market. “Over the past few years, ALDI has consistently increased its visit share when compared to the overall grocery segment, both nationally and across its major markets,” observed Arnold. “This consistent growth in visit share underscores the broad appeal of ALDI's value proposition to shoppers across the country, suggesting that its ambitious expansion plans are likely to be well-received by consumers.”
Meanwhile, data shows that Lidl is likewise expanding, albeit at a slower pace, making inroads in suburban markets. “These metrics strongly suggest that Lidl has more demand in the suburbs than it may realize – and as it expands, focusing on these areas might prove to be a winning strategy for the chain,” wrote Arnold.
As more shoppers enter the doors of these stores, they are often doing so on weekends. Placer.ai’s research shows that 37.2% of ALDI visits and 37.7% of Lidl trips took place on Saturdays and Sundays in the first quarter of this year. That’s higher than the rate for traditional and value grocery stores and indicates that these stores are destinations for weekend stock-up trips, the report concludes.
In addition to unveiling new stores this month in the Western United States, ALDI continues to convert more Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to its banner, after it sold back about 170 locations to C&S Wholesale Grocers and a group of private investors including current Southeastern Grocers CEO and President Anthony Hucker. Other new ALDI stores are expected to open soon in Washington, D.C. Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, among other states.
Lidl is also on a roll, set to welcome shoppers to a new site in New Jersey on May 9 and another in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 23, with more outposts in the pipeline for this summer.
Batavia, Ill.-based ALDI U.S. serves millions of customers across the country each month with more than 2,300 stores in 38 states. The company is No. 28 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named ALDI among its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers. Lidl operates more than 12,000 stores and is active in 31 countries, employing more than 360,000 employees globally. Lidl US operates more than 170 stores across nine East Coast states and Washington, D.C. The Arlington, Va.-based grocer is No. 91 on The PG 100.
