Aldi in China : How to Enter to the Discount Supermarkets Chains

Aldi in China is no longer a small experiment. The German discount chain hit its 100th store in March 2026, and almost every one of them sits inside the Yangtze River Delta. If you sell food or consumer goods and you want a shot at Chinese shelves, this is one of the most interesting doors open right now. Here is how it works, with real numbers and an honest look at what it takes to get listed.

Aldi in China in 2026: the figures that matter

1. 100 stores by March 2026. Aldi reached its 100th China store in March 2026, with 74 in Shanghai and 26 in Jiangsu province. Back in 2017 it started with a single Tmall shop.
2. It finally left Shanghai. In spring 2025 Aldi opened its first stores outside the city, in Wuxi, Suzhou and Kunshan. The Shanghai-only era is over.
3. About 2,000 SKUs per store. That is roughly one tenth of what a normal Chinese supermarket carries. Aldi keeps the list short on purpose.
4. 90% private label. Own-brand products make up about 90% of sales. This is the heart of the model and the main reason margins hold up.
5. Sales doubled in 2024. Chinese press reported Aldi China roughly doubled its sales as value-first shopping took off. The timing was good.

To put this in context: China’s total retail sales of consumer goods reached 50.1 trillion yuan in 2025, up 3.7% year on year, and supermarket sales grew 4.3% according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Shoppers are not spending less. They are spending more carefully. That is exactly the climate a discount chain wants.

Aldi, the low cost strategy in China

One winter morning, Shanghai’s Jing’an Temple metro station turned into an odd little art show, courtesy of Aldi. Commuters walked past four giant grocery installations: a Chinese leaf, a carrot, a milk carton and a croissant, all towering over the floor. These were not decorations. They were price ads, built by STDecaux to hammer one message home: Aldi is cheap.

Each oversized item carried a price tag. The Chinese leaf at 3.5 RMB (0.49 USD) per 500g, carrots at 1.96 RMB (0.28 USD) per 800g, 950ml of milk for 8.9 RMB (1.25 USD), and four croissants for 12.9 RMB (1.81 USD). People stopped, stared and took photos. For a brand selling on price, free word of mouth like that is the dream.

Aldi was founded in 1946 by the Albrecht brothers in Germany, and it first stepped into China in 2017. The early plan was wrong. It tried to look like a premium community supermarket for the middle class, which threw away the one thing Aldi is famous for: low prices. Over the next few years China changed. Rational spending became the mood. So Aldi went back to its roots with the line “good quality, better prices,” close to its old “spend a little, live a lot.” That reset is what made it work.

Supermarkets chains in China: Aldi & Costco’s success

The Chinese-insider angle: why “consumption downgrade” is your opening

Talk to anyone living in Shanghai or Hangzhou and you will hear the phrase xiaofei jiangji, the “consumption downgrade.” It does not mean people are poor. It means they got tired of paying brand premiums for the same product. A bottle of imported juice at a fancy supermarket and the same juice at Aldi for half the price, and the choice is easy.

This mood is why Sam’s Club is winning too. In Walmart’s most recent results, Sam’s Club made up about 68% of Walmart China’s roughly 20.3 billion USD in sales, up about 27.7% on the year. Costco keeps opening megastores that sell out paid memberships on day one. The pattern is clear: Chinese shoppers will happily buy in bulk or buy own-brand if the price and quality are honest. A foreign brand that fights this trend loses. A foreign brand that fits it gets pulled along.

One detail people miss: Aldi China sources most of its private-label goods locally. The croissants, the milk, the snacks, many come from Chinese factories making product to Aldi’s spec. So the real question for a foreign brand is not always “can I put my label on the shelf.” Often it is “can I become the factory or the recipe behind Aldi’s own label.” That route is quieter, but it moves real volume.

The clever taglines on those giant installations did more than sell vegetables. They rebranded Aldi for young, urban shoppers. Online comments praised the campaign and credited the post-2000 generation for the playful tone. In China, getting the young crowd to post about you for free is worth more than a billboard budget.

Despite hard competition from warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club, plus online grocers like Hema, Aldi’s return to low prices marks a real turn. With decades of discount experience behind it, Aldi’s China play is one to watch closely.

What brands does Aldi want in China?

Aldi’s buying in China rests on two words: affordable and good. It picks products that fit the value-seeking but quality-aware shopper. In practice that means:

• Private labels: most of the shelf. High quality at low prices, made to Aldi’s own spec, often by local factories.
• Local brands: a smaller set of trusted Chinese names that shoppers already know and ask for.
• International favorites: a tight selection of recognized foreign brands in snacks, drinks and household goods, used to add a sense of choice without bloating the SKU count.

How to actually get listed (the supplier path)

Getting onto Aldi shelves is a process, not a phone call. The same discipline shows up across markets. Expect to:

• Pass food safety audits: a GFSI-approved third-party audit for food sites, and the right facility certificates. Aldi does not skip this.
• Send real samples: usually at least three per product, fully labeled with ingredients, nutrition and production dates, plus packaging samples.
• Sign the purchase agreement: Aldi works on a master purchase agreement and clear product standards. Read it before you celebrate.
• Quote a serious price: this is a discounter. If your number does not work at retail, the conversation ends fast.

For most smaller foreign brands, the smart move is to go in through a Chinese distributor who already knows the buyers, handles import, and can hold inventory. That is the part we help with. See our guide to finding a reliable Chinese distributor, and if you want to build demand before you walk into a buyer meeting, our e-commerce team in Shanghai can get your product selling on Tmall and Douyin first. Proof of sales is the best pitch.

Aldi’s strategic approach in China

Aldi adapts to local conditions while keeping its core habits. The main moves:

• Online and offline together: Aldi runs a strong digital presence next to its stores, including delivery, because Chinese grocery shopping happens on the phone as much as in the aisle.
• Smart marketing: eye-catching displays and culturally tuned campaigns, like the metro installation, that earn free social media reach.
• Tight supply chain: a short SKU list and local sourcing keep costs down and shelves fresh. Aldi opened an East China distribution center to support its growth.

Be findable: SEO before the buyer meeting

Here is a thing brands forget. When an Aldi or Sam’s Club buyer hears your name, the first thing they do is search you in Chinese. If Baidu, RedNote and Douyin show nothing, you look like a risk. A buyer wants to see that real Chinese shoppers already want your product. Build a Chinese name, a few RedNote reviews and a clean Baidu result before you pitch, and the meeting goes better. This is cheap insurance, and it is part of what our China marketing services cover.

We can help you get in

Aldi’s growth in China shows what happens when a value brand reads the room correctly. The discount trend is real, the shelves are expanding, and the door is open for foreign food and consumer brands that price honestly and prove demand. We have the experience and the contacts to help you get listed or to set up your own China distribution. Read more on our blog or contact us to talk it through.

Frequently asked questions

How many Aldi stores are there in China?

Aldi reached its 100th store in China in March 2026. About 74 are in Shanghai and 26 in Jiangsu province, mostly across the Yangtze River Delta. The chain started with one Tmall shop in 2017 and opened its first physical stores in Shanghai in 2019.

How do I sell my product to Aldi China?

You apply as a supplier, pass food safety audits (GFSI-approved for food sites), submit labeled samples, and sign Aldi’s master purchase agreement at a price that works for a discounter. Most smaller foreign brands get in faster through a Chinese distributor who already knows the buyers and handles import.

Why is Aldi succeeding in China when other foreign retailers failed?

Aldi fits the current “consumption downgrade” mood, where shoppers want good quality without paying a brand premium. It keeps about 2,000 SKUs, sources most goods locally, and sells around 90% private label, so prices stay low. It also dropped its early premium positioning and went back to discount, which matched the market.

Is Aldi cheaper than Sam’s Club or Hema in China?

Aldi competes on everyday low prices with no membership fee and small store formats, while Sam’s Club uses bulk packs behind a paid membership. For a single shopper or small household, Aldi is usually cheaper per trip. For families buying in volume, Sam’s Club can win on unit price. They target different shopping habits.

Does Aldi China sell foreign brands or only its own label?

About 90% of sales are Aldi’s own private-label products, but it does stock a tight selection of international brands in snacks, drinks and household goods, plus some trusted local Chinese brands. For many foreign suppliers the bigger opportunity is making product for Aldi’s private label rather than getting their own brand on the shelf.

Sources

• National Bureau of Statistics of China, Total Retail Sales of Consumer Goods in December 2025
• Walmart Inc., Q3 FY26 results (SEC Form 8-K)

Jon Wang is a pragmatic, China-focused consultant with hands-on experience in Chinese e-commerce, distribution and digital marketing, always focused on practical solutions for smaller brands and tighter budgets. Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.