Aldi UK’s latest advert, which began broadcasting on television screens forgotten by the channel-change or mute buttons a little over a week ago, shows a series of reaction shots filmed in York. And though the responses range from shock and surprise to proud and conceited affirmation, none of the detained shoppers seem at all inclined to disagree when it is revealed that Aldi has been awarded Which? Best Supermarket of 2015.
There are two Aldi stores in the vicinity of York: one near the city centre, on Fulford Road; the other out on Kathryn Avenue somewhere in Huntington. Evidently enough to entice a broad spectrum of contented clients; or perhaps it is word alone that has spread. The persons of the advert are shown on location along St Sampsons Square and High Petergate, rowing upon the River Ouse, and down Church Street, High Ousegate, Stonegate, and The Shambles.
Though in the end equally reconciled to the decision arrived at by Which?, these citizens of York display a baffling array of gestures when confronted. There is the gentleman quick to embrace the prompting of what we may presume to be his partner; the line of rowers, differently awed by the announcement except for the woman in the back, perhaps too distant to see; and the utter conviction of the man enjoying the result with his young family.
And what of the smartly dressed lady in blue glasses who laughs heartily when Aldi is unveiled as the Which? best? Is this the laughter of recognition, the woman welcoming the mention of Aldi as she would an old friend? Is it instead nervous laughter, the product of one who feels bullied into upholding the consumer association’s claim? The woman reacts as though some trick or prank has been disclosed.
Aldi, the now-global discount supermarket chain, was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in Germany in 1946. Within the temporarily restored borders of its homeland, Aldi pursues a policy whereby it refrains from big adverts: forgoing the TV, and only printing small snippets in stores or in the local press. Yet in the UK, nationwide ads in print and on television have appeared since May 2005.
The tactic has gradually proven successful. Aldi’s market share in the UK has risen from 3.0 % back in November 2012 to more than 5.0% today: the latest set of figures, released at the beginning of April, showing a market share of 5.3%, allowing Aldi to surpass Waitrose as the UK’s sixth largest grocer. Tesco heads this list, in front of Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and The Co-Operative; with Lidl, Aldi’s low-cost German competitor, beneath Aldi and Waitrose on 3.7%. But both Aldi and Lidl continue to grow. Last Christmas, half of UK shoppers visited one of the two chains’ stores.
Aldi won the official Supermarket of the Year award in the UK twice in a row, between 2012 and 2013, but marginally lost out earlier this year in February to Waitrose. Still who can deny what a prize was won by them that contended with Which?
