By Andy Young
Aldi is continuing its expansion across Australia with the opening of four stores in South Australia. A further 50 stores are set to open across the state over the next few years.
Premier Jay Weatherill opened the Parafield Gardens store this morning, with Aldi's South Australian managing director Viktor Jakupec.
Jakupec said that the retailer will be adopting largely the same policies that have it become such a success in Australia's eastern states.
"We have conducted in-depth research into the wants and needs of South Australia shoppers and believe they are looking for the same value and convenience in their weekly shop as our shoppers on the eastern seaboard," he said.
"Aldi has always been committed to being the price leader in the market and this will not change with our entry into South Australia and Western Australia."
Aldi plans to open 16 more stores in South Australia by the end of 2016 and open its first stores in Western Australia by mid-2016.
The German retailers expansive approach in Australia has been highlighted in the latest advertising spend figures from Nielsen. The Advertising Information Service figures showed that while Coles' marketing spend was cut by 25 per cent in 2015 compared to 2014 and Woolworths cut back by 5.3 per cent, Aldi's advertising almost doubled, up from $15 million in 2014 to $28.9m in 2015.