For years, the trend among German discounters showed only one direction: upward. But Corona has stopped the growth. In the cover story of the current Lebensmittel Praxis issue, the question was raised as to whether this means that the success story of the discounters has now come to an end.
Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht does not think so. He predicts that the economic situation of many people will get worse next year. This is therefore an opportunity for discounters to keep score with low prices. Prof. Fassnacht also takes a close look at discounters in four different categories, focusing on functional, emotional, symbolic and ethical-social characteristics. The functionality is clearly given, discounters sell an adequate assortment in good quality and mostly in a good location. In terms of emotionality, discounters are limited: The joy of shopping is limited among consumers, but is basically given. When it comes to the criterion "symbolic," discounters have caught up strongly in recent years: Today, anyone who shops at Lidl or Aldi is considered "smart." With regard to the aspect of ethical and social responsibility, Prof. Fassnacht even sees the discounters as "drivers of the market". As evidence, he cites the expansion of the vegan range and organic products, among other things.
Read the entire article in the print edition of Lebensmittel Praxis: Issue 6 of March 26, 2021, starting on page 15.