Australia’s cheapest supermarket has scrapped plans to expand into online shopping.
While rumours have swirled for some time that ALDI is planning to take on grocery giants Woolworths and Coles in the online shopping space, a spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au the chain was focussed on keeping prices in-store as low as possible.
“While we are always looking at the best ways to serve our customers, right now we are focused on delivering value and the lowest prices possible at a time our customers need it most,” the ALDI spokesperson said.
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“We won’t compromise our ability to deliver low-priced groceries to Australians.”
It comes a month after consumer group Choice awarded ALDI the title of Australia’s cheapest supermarket.
ALDI had the lowest prices for a basket of average goods out of the major supermarkets — with an average basket of 14 common household items from Aldi cost $51.51, on average, compared with $68.58 at Woolworths and $69.33 at Coles.
The basket of items included bread, flour, milk, beef mince, tinned tomatoes, Weet-Bix, apples, carrots, penne, a block of cheese, frozen peas, butter, sugar and tea.
The federal government provided Choice with $1.1 million to carry out the reports over three years.
A federal review has called for a code of conduct between supermarkets and suppliers to be made mandatory.
Competition Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh said the report would help put pressure on supermarket giants to lower prices.
“Australians are under cost-of-living pressure, and we know that a lot of that pressure is piled on at the cash register,” he said.
Greens Senator Nick McKim said the report highlighted the need for more players in the market.
“It beggars belief that there could be just 1 per cent difference in prices between the duopoly. The choice between Coles and Woolworths is no choice at all,” he said.
– With AAP