// Aldi to extend Local stores trial after positive feedback of its flagship in Balham
// A new store will open in Camden this Thursday under the Local fascia
// Existing stores in Archway, Eastcote, Kingston, Kilburn, Tooting and Romford will also be converted to the Local fascia
Aldi has confirmed it will expand the trial of its new Local fascia in response to positive customer feedback since it launched the concept earlier this year.
An Aldi UK spokesperson told Retail Gazette that after the opening of the first Local store in Balham, south London, in March, a new store will open in Camden this Thursday under the Local fascia.
The spokesperson added that existing Aldi stores in Archway, Eastcote, Kingston, Kilburn, Tooting and Romford will be converted to the new Local format on the same day.
These existing outlets are already smaller format stores.
While details on the new Camden store were not provided, a report in Retail Week indicated it would be 6400sq ft.
The new Camden store will also reportedly sell 300 fewer products than a regular-sized Aldi.
Its size and inventory would make it almost the same as the Balham store.
The spokesperson told Retail Gazette that the feedback Aldi has received since the first Local store opened in Balham has been “very positive” and its new goal is to capture feedback from customers living and working in different parts of London.
The results of these trials will then be evaluated before deciding whether to roll out the concept and branding permanently.
Aldi also stressed that the Local fascia was not a move into convenience retailing.
There are also no plans to introduce the Local format outside of London.
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