There must still be people who haven’t set foot in one of the two German discounters. Those who stop by Aldi or Lidl should be surprised. Even Denner boss Mario Irminger (57) thinks so. A lot has happened since the two entered the market more than a decade ago. “Discounts have become socially acceptable today,” he tells Blick.
It doesn’t look like the living room at local low-priced branches, but the pallet chute of the past is history. Self-service cooking stations, a large fresh food area and automatic payment stations are standard at Aldi and Lidl, and many of them will soon be available in Denner, as Irminger announced in an interview with the Sunday newspaper. Major renovation of 600 Denner branches will begin in April 2023. It will cost “a low three-digit million”.
More space, more freshness, more digital
The first pilot shop that Blick was able to visit on Badenerstrasse in Zurich gives a foretaste: After the customer enters, it is no longer standing in front of the vegetable rack, but in front of a long oven control wall where hot products are also available. instant consumption. Opposite long refrigerated shelves with drinks and other ready-made products.
Four wide floor plates: There is plenty of space in the hallways for a twin stroller. Goods on pallets are hardly visible anymore, many shelves are on rollers that can be moved individually and presented individually. Denner now offers more vegetables, but also plant-based meat substitutes and more types of fish.
Another innovation: digital price tags. “They have the advantage that price changes can be handled much more efficiently on a weekly basis, especially now in times of inflation,” says Irminger. Dynamic pricing, that is, pricing is not planned based on demand for products and time of day.
Inflation works for discounters
Tobacco products and hard alcohol are circulating behind Plexiglas in the vault area, as they’ve been stolen so much lately, as Denner’s boss Irminger said.
The only thing that has not been decided yet is the payment machines. The first converted branches continue to rely on the two-pay system. Aldi and Lidl are different and both rely on autonomous payment by their customers.
Denner’s major remodeling isn’t just due to Aldi and Lidl’s progress in the inner cities. Discounters expect customer growth triggered by continued inflation. Denner boss Irminger: “We can see that midsize companies are now looking at prices more often when shopping and having to save money.” Inflation, population growth due to immigration, more retirees who have to look after price, clear for Irminger: “It all works for the discounters.”