In stores only: The high-demand Aldi items you can’t buy on DoorDash
By Jessica Yun
Aldi has made a late entrance into home grocery delivery by teaming up with DoorDash in a trial that promises its range of more than 1800 items at a few taps of the screen – but some of its most highly coveted products will be missing.
Released every Wednesday, Aldi’s “special buys” – a weekly rotation of limited-edition items that includes seasonal favourites such as camping and snow gear, as well as bulkier items like reformer Pilates machines – will not be available for purchase through DoorDash. Neither will liquor, which includes Aldi’s award-winning wines.
Aldi’s most highly coveted items won’t be found on DoorDash.Credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
“With special buys, we just want to make sure we do it right,” Aldi Australia group buying director Simon Padovani-Ginies said.
“Obviously, if we sell lawnmowers or 75-inch TVs, it’s going to be pretty difficult for a Dasher to put it on the back of their bike and delivery to come on time. And they sell out extremely fast,” he said.
“Our customers know if you want a special buy at Aldi, get there on a Wednesday morning … Customers need to continue heading into store if they want exciting products.”
Aldi’s new partnership with DoorDash began on Tuesday in a trial in Canberra. It is the last major supermarket chain to make home delivery available, after Costco announced a similar partnership with DoorDash in early February to bring bulk-buy goods to Australians’ doorsteps.
Online-ordered grocery delivery is forming a growing slice of supermarket sales, if the numbers from Aldi’s biggest rivals are anything to go by. Woolworths’ online sales have increased 20 per cent and Coles are up 22.6 per cent, outpacing in-store growth.
Aldi, which has just opened its 600th store, will aim to expand the trial beyond Canberra “as soon as we can”, Padovani-Ginies said. Canberra was chosen for its relative geographical isolation and high demographic of residents comfortable adopting new digital experiences.
“Whenever we introduce new initiatives, we go through a robust process of making sure we test it first to make sure our customers enjoy the experience, and we make sure it doesn’t have any unforeseen consequence on our operational efficiency,” said Padovani-Ginies.
“I would hope to have this service available to as many households in Australia as possible well before Christmas, so that if they are looking for their convenience Christmas shop, they’ve got the option to shop with DoorDash.”
Aldi Australia group buying director Simon Padovani-Ginies says he hopes to have this service available to many more Australians by Christmas.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Grocery prices on the delivery app will have a slightly higher mark-up than in store. The usual DoorDash fees – service, delivery, small order or longer-distance – will apply.
Following a period of high inflation and cost of living pressures that put supermarkets under intense scrutiny last year, Woolworths and Coles have been eager to announce they have lowered the price on hundreds of everyday goods, putting pressure on Aldi to prove its promise of being 20 per cent cheaper than the major chains.
“Customers love convenience, but at the same time, they want affordability. So by having Aldi join DoorDash and offer [groceries] online, it brings greater affordability to that online channel,” said Padovani-Ginies.
Aldi’s United States business partnered with DoorDash in 2023, something that Aldi Australia has been watching closely. Discussions with delivery platforms began 12 months ago as part of broader efforts to bolster Aldi’s online presence, including a website revamp in April that displays the prices of every item in its range to help customers compare prices.
While Uber remains the leader among delivery platforms, DoorDash has demonstrated concerted efforts to capture its share of the grocery delivery market through its Costco partnership as well as its failed experiment, DashMart, which only lasted four months.
“They’re focused on efficiency, and they’re focused on being a good-value option for customers. So the alignment between our two business value systems is very, very strong,” Padovani-Ginies said.
Aldi is not considering click and collect, a key contributor to Woolworths’ and Coles’ online sales. While the major chains have their own partnerships with Uber Eats and DoorDash, they have also built their own delivery capabilities, something Aldi has indicated it wouldn’t do due to the high costs it would add to the business.
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