Aldi axes click and collect service

Aldi UK, Britain's fourth largest supermarket group, is to end its click and collect service that was introduced at the height of the pandemic, the company said on Thursday.

Launched in September 2020, the service was initially introduced in response to the online grocery shopping boom that was fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

It is currently available in 174 stores out of Aldi's UK total of 1,020, but the service will end on 18 August.

Unlike its traditional supermarket rivals — market leader Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons — Aldi does not offer a home delivery service.

Online's share of Britain's total grocery market was about 7 per cent before the onset of the pandemic in 2020. It peaked at about 15 per cent during the pandemic, and is currently just under 13 per cent, according to industry data.

Aldi, owned by Germany's Aldi Sud, and fellow discounter Lidl have expanded rapidly over the past two decades, transforming the UK supermarket scene and forcing traditional players to compete more aggressively.

However, recent industry data showed Aldi's UK market share has edged lower. It was 10 per cent in the 12 weeks to 4 August, down 20 basis points on the year, according to data published on Tuesday from market researcher Kantar.

(Reuters)