The discounters Aldi and Lidl are currently reporting delivery bottlenecks.
This even means that the start of sales for a particular collection is delayed.
Kassel - customers of Aldi and Lidl should not be happy about that.
The popular discounters are currently experiencing delivery bottlenecks for non-food items.
The food newspaper reported.
This means that the start of sales of the much sought-after “Aldi Original” collection from Aldi Nord will also be postponed.
Empty shelves in the non-food area at Aldi were already visible on Monday (October 18, 2021).
“That really costs sales,” Carsten Kortum, professor at the Heilbronn Cooperative State University, told the food newspaper.
According to information from the food newspaper, there are also delays at the discounter Lidl.
Individual promotional items are missing.
"That is why we have adjusted the relevant advertising dates," said the company.
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Delivery bottlenecks at Aldi and Lidl could soon ensure that the supermarket shelves are empty.
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© Darren England / Imago Images
Non-food items are referred to by retailers as products that are not suitable for consumption, such as bed linen or clothing.
According to the Bild newspaper, the supply of food should not be affected by the bottlenecks.
Delivery bottlenecks at Aldi and Lidl: the situation in China causes problems
But what is behind the delivery bottlenecks at the discounters?
In particular, the corona pandemic and the lack of space on container ships affected suppliers in China.
This leads to delays, because Lidl, for example, is dependent on more than 1,400 non-food suppliers from the People's Republic.
The food newspaper reported.
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There are significant delivery delays at Aldi and Lidl.
These should also have an impact on the Christmas business.
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© Guenter Nowack / Imago Images
The rationing of electricity in China also caused bottlenecks.
"Last week we only had electricity for two days," said a supplier email that was available to the food newspaper.
“We really don't know how long it will last.
The coming deliveries will be delayed. "
Aldi and Lidl: prices for non-food items are rising
In addition, not only are the prices for non-food items rising in the supermarket, the availability of goods is also a major challenge for suppliers and discounters.
"The lockdown has brought about a lot of postponements," said the boss of a large non-food provider.
"The order of shipment is no longer controllable," he continued.
At the same time, there is no personal contact with the suppliers, since employees of the discounters cannot travel to China due to the pandemic situation.
According to the Federal Foreign Office, an entry ban applies to German citizens.
Only citizens “with a valid Chinese residence permit for employment, personal affairs or family reunification” are allowed to travel to the country.
Delivery bottlenecks at Aldi and Lidl: no improvement in sight
But that's not all: an improvement in the situation does not appear to be foreseeable in the near future.
According to a study by the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW), the delivery delays should also affect the Christmas business.
"Demand is meeting stocks that are currently at a low level, mainly due to uncertainties in the corona pandemic," the study said.
That could make the search for gifts more difficult - especially in the electronics sector.
"Various manufacturers have signaled that there could be bottlenecks in subsequent deliveries in the coming months," warned Steffen Kahnt, Managing Director of the Technical Trade Association (BVT).
Sales start of the Aldi collection: Discounter tries to appease customers
In the meantime, Aldi tried to appease its customers.
The discounter announced the new dates for the start of sales of the “Aldi Original” collection via Twitter.
Hamburg started on Tuesday (October 19, 2021).
The dates for Hanover and Essen have been postponed by a few days to the beginning of November.
Sales dates for the #ALDIORIGINAL collection: In the staged space setting in the parking lots of the respective #ALDI stores, our customers can look forward to an extraordinary shopping experience: https://t.co/FTt8erc1Z8 #ALDInews pic.twitter.com/7L6HoyRRyG
- ALDI North (@ALDINord_Presse) October 15, 2021
The coveted collection of the discounter includes eight items of clothing - including a sweatshirt, a T-shirt, sweatpants, socks and "Aldilettes" with the Aldi emblem.
There will also be exclusive items from the collection, such as sneakers that are only available through competitions.
Lidl already caused a huge rush last year with a limited fashion collection.
Flip-flops, socks and the like with the discounter's logo were sold out within a few minutes.
(cheese)
List of rubric lists: © DARREN ENGLAND via www.imago-images.de
