Value supermarket Aldi has stepped away from its one-size-fits all format for the first time with the launch of a premium supermarket targeting affluent top-up shoppers in Sydney.
The Aldi Corner Store is built around more high-end products “for now” than Aldi’s usual “weekly shop staples”. The store includes sushi, poke, muesli, yoghurts and squeeze-your-own orange juice kiosks, amongst other more premium offerings.
The front of store is also a departure for Aldi as it shares an entrance with the service counter of an artisanal bakery called Sonoma, which Aldi hopes will drive footfall into the store. As part of an additional link-up with Sonoma, the baker’s Wild Origins bread is available to buy in-store. The selection includes no fewer than 12 different types of sourdough.
The design of the walls and ceilings of the store, usually purely functional in Aldi locations, have been created in partnership with a local artist called Joel Moore, aka Mulga. The colourful mural-style paintings depict some of the fresh produce that is available to buy in-store. The designs are also available on limited-edition reusable bags within the store.
Elsewhere the store has a range of design and service elements that align with the lifestyle of affluent residents of North Sydney. For example, inside the front door there are “Pup Parking” spaces that leads can be fixed to so customers don’t need to leave their dogs on the street outside.
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