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A retail strategy is how a company decides what to sell, to whom, where, and at what price, and how it pays for those choices.

Aldi UK

Grocery, United Kingdom

Read Aldi UK’s strategy
“Nobody else is making the same commitment to everyday low prices – no clubs, no gimmicks, no tricks – just prices our customers can trust”
Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland

Toward 1,500 stores: three pillars

  1. 1Everyday low pricesAldi competes on price alone, with no loyalty scheme, and keeps its margin thin to pay for it.
  2. 2More storesAldi opens stores first where there is no Aldi nearby.
  3. 3Buying and distribution

Loyalty and membership

10 of 15 retailers

A reason to come back, and a record of what each customer buys.

  • ColesFlybuys active members up to 10.3 million, with more personalised offers.
  • Costco82.9 million paid members, with renewal rates of 89.7% worldwide.
  • Falabella22 million loyalty members among 38 million customers across its businesses.,
  • The Home DepotPro Xtra, its loyalty programme for professional customers, alongside preferred pricing and trade credit.
  • M&SSparks, its loyalty scheme, relaunched with wallet-based rewards.
  • Mercado LibreMELI+ subscribers up 72% on the year before, in the second quarter of 2026.
  • Sainsbury’sDigitally active Nectar users up 35% in 2025/26, with more than 10,000 Nectar Price offers every week.
  • ShopriteR18.3 billion of Xtra Savings Rewards cash back paid to customers at the till.
  • TescoYour Clubcard Prices, personal prices for each customer, has made nearly 100 million tailored offers since March 2026.
  • Woolworths GroupEveryday Rewards, beside lower prices and its own brands, as part of what it calls consistent and meaningful value.

The other way: no scheme at all

  • Aldi UKAldi UK runs no loyalty scheme. Its commitment is to everyday low prices, with no clubs and no gimmicks.

The 15 retailersThe other 114 companies

Parts of the business

47%
36%

7 of 15 retailers (Falabella, M&S, Mercado Libre, Sainsbury’s, Shoprite, Woolworths Group, Zalando), and 36% of other companies.

Customers and brand

47%
32%

7 of 15 retailers (Aldi UK, Costco, IKEA, Kingfisher, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, The Home Depot), and 32% of other companies.

Products and research

33%
46%

5 of 15 retailers (Coles, Kingfisher, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Woolworths Group), and 46% of other companies.

Cost and efficiency

33%
25%

5 of 15 retailers (Coles, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Wesfarmers), and 25% of other companies.

Stores and channels

33%
11%

5 of 15 retailers (Aldi UK, Costco, IKEA, Kingfisher, The Home Depot), and 11% of other companies.

Digital, data, and AI

20%
29%

3 of 15 retailers (Coles, Falabella, Kingfisher), and 29% of other companies.

Partners and ecosystems

20%
9%

3 of 15 retailers (Falabella, Mercado Libre, Tesco), and 9% of other companies.

Sustainability and society

13%
17%

2 of 15 retailers (IKEA, Wesfarmers), and 17% of other companies.

Making and supply

7%
18%

1 of 15 retailers (Aldi UK), and 18% of other companies.

Profit and capital

7%
16%

1 of 15 retailers (Falabella), and 16% of other companies.

Which businesses to be in

7%
12%

1 of 15 retailers (Wesfarmers), and 12% of other companies.

People and culture

7%
12%

1 of 15 retailers (The Home Depot), and 12% of other companies.

  • Aldi UKToward 1,500 stores
    “Nobody else is making the same commitment to everyday low prices – no clubs, no gimmicks, no tricks – just prices our customers can trust”Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland
    1. 1Everyday low prices
    2. 2More stores
    3. 3Buying and distribution
  • Coles3D strategy
    “Helping Australians eat and live better every day”Coles’ purpose
    1. 1Destination for food, drink and everyday essentials
    2. 2Accelerated by digital
    3. 3Delivered consistently for the future
  • CostcoThe membership warehouse model
    “Prices we believe are consistently lower than elsewhere”Costco’s strategy
    1. 1Low prices, limited selection
    2. 2Membership
    3. 3More warehouses
  • FalabellaFour strategic priorities
    “This new stage of growth has just begun”Grupo Falabella’s CEO letter, second quarter 2026
    1. 1Deepen our ecosystem advantage
    2. 2Accelerate profitable growth across our five businesses
    3. 3Leverage data, technology and AI to enhance customer value
    4. 4Maintain disciplined capital allocation and operational excellence
  • IKEAIKEA Sustainability Strategy
    “To create a better everyday life for the many people”The IKEA vision
    1. 1Affordable
    2. 2Accessible
    3. 3Sustainable
  • KingfisherPowered by Kingfisher
    “Better Homes. Better Lives. For Everyone”Kingfisher’s purpose
    1. 1Grow our trade business
    2. 2Scale our digital ecosystem
    3. 3Win through our offer, own exclusive brands and services
    4. 4Grow our banners and formats
  • M&SReshaping M&S
    “Our job is to protect the magic of M&S while modernising the rest”Stuart Machin, M&S Chief Executive, on the year to March 2026
    1. 1Food
    2. 2Fashion, Home & Beauty
    3. 3International
    4. 4Reinvest for growth
  • Mercado LibreInvest, don’t harvest
    “We believe the right response is not to harvest – it is to invest”Mercado Libre’s first quarter 2026 letter
    1. 1Commerce
    2. 2Fintech
    3. 3One ecosystem
  • Sainsbury’sNext Level Sainsbury’s
    “We make good food joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone, every day”Sainsbury’s purpose
    1. 1First Choice for Food
    2. 2Loyalty Everyone Loves
    3. 3More Argos, More Often
    4. 4Save and Invest to Win
  • ShopriteMarket segmentation strategy
    “The Group’s differentiated brand portfolio and clear customer segmentation strategy are designed to meet customers where and when they need us most”Shoprite Holdings, group outlook, September 2026
    1. 1Shoprite and Usave
    2. 2Checkers and Checkers Hyper
    3. 3Sixty60
    4. 4Adjacent businesses
  • TescoFive strategic ambitions
    “Our goal is to create long-term sustainable value for all our stakeholders, by consistently delivering for customers”Tesco’s goal
    1. 1Winning in food
    2. 2Meeting more everyday needs
    3. 3Most strategic partner for suppliers
    4. 4Connected, personalised, and loved
    5. 5Long-term business sustainability
  • The Home DepotGrowth strategy
    “Our Inverted Pyramid model reminds us who matters most – our customers and our associates”The Home Depot’s values
    1. 1Drive our core and culture
    2. 2Deliver a frictionless interconnected customer experience
    3. 3Win with Pros
  • WesfarmersThe Wesfarmers Way
    “To deliver a satisfactory return to shareholders”Wesfarmers’ primary objective
    1. 1Strengthen existing businesses through operating excellence and satisfying customer needs
    2. 2Secure growth opportunities through entrepreneurial initiative
    3. 3Renew the portfolio through value-adding transactions
    4. 4Ensure sustainability through responsible long-term management
  • Woolworths GroupThree medium-term priorities
    “Our strategy to deliver low prices and the best range and convenience gives us confidence we can be first choice for customers”Amanda Bardwell, Woolworths Group’s CEO, August 2026
    1. 1First choice for the freshest Australian food
    2. 2Improve returns in New Zealand Food and BIG W
    3. 3Grow complementary businesses and services
  • ZalandoEcosystem strategy
    “Zalando is evolving from a platform to an ecosystem for fashion and lifestyle”Zalando’s strategy
    1. 1Business-to-Consumer
    2. 2Business-to-Business

Sources

  1. 1. Coles Group Limited (2026). 2026 Full Year Results Release. Results statement, 25 August 2026. announcements.asx.com.au
  2. 2. Costco Wholesale Corporation (2026). Quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 10 May 2026. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, May 2026. sec.gov
  3. 3. Falabella S.A. (2026). Grupo Falabella results, 2Q26. Grupo Falabella investor relations, August 2026. investors.grupofalabella.com
  4. 4. Falabella S.A. (2026). Corporate presentation, 2Q26. Grupo Falabella investor relations, August 2026. investors.grupofalabella.com
  5. 5. The Home Depot, Inc. (2026). Annual Report on Form 10-K, fiscal year ended February 1, 2026. Annual report, 18 March 2026. sec.gov
  6. 6. Marks and Spencer Group plc (2026). Preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 28 March 2026: Reinvesting for growth. M&S corporate, 20 May 2026. corporate.marksandspencer.com
  7. 7. MercadoLibre, Inc. (2026). Second quarter 2026 financial results. Form 8-K, exhibit 99.1, 5 August 2026. sec.gov
  8. 8. J Sainsbury plc (2026). Preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 28 February 2026. Results announcement, 23 April 2026. corporate.sainsburys.co.uk
  9. 9. Shoprite Holdings Limited (2026). Reviewed results for the 52 weeks ended 28 June 2026 and cash dividend declaration. Shoprite Holdings, 1 September 2026. luse.co.zm
  10. 10. Tesco PLC (2026). Q1 Trading Statement 2026/27. Company announcement, 18 June 2026. investegate.co.uk
  11. 11. Woolworths Group Limited (2026). F26 full year profit and dividend announcement. ASX announcement, 26 August 2026. woolworthsgroup.com.au
  12. 12. Aldi UK (2025). Aldi announces record £1.6bn expansion plan to meet UK’s ‘demand for discount’. Aldi UK Press Office, 15 September 2025. aldipresscentre.co.uk
  13. 13. Aldi UK (2026). Aldi scales investment in Britain to help tackle food affordability. Aldi UK Press Office, 28 September 2026. aldipresscentre.co.uk
  14. 14. Costco Wholesale Corporation (2026). Costco Wholesale Corporation reports fourth quarter and fiscal year 2026 operating results. News release, Form 8-K exhibit 99.1, 24 September 2026. sec.gov
  15. 15. Costco Wholesale Corporation (2025). Annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 August 2025. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 8 October 2025. sec.gov
  16. 16. The Home Depot, Inc. (2026). The Home Depot Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results. Results statement, 18 August 2026. sec.gov
  17. 17. Inter IKEA Group (2025). IKEA retail sales figures for FY25. Inter IKEA newsroom, 16 October 2025. ikea.com
  18. 18. Kingfisher plc (2026). Full year results for the year ended 31 January 2026. Results announcement, 24 March 2026. kingfisher.com
  19. 19. Tesco PLC (2026). Preliminary Results 2025/26. Results statement, 16 April 2026. tescoplc.com
  20. 20. Inter IKEA Group (2025). IKEA Sustainability and Climate Reports FY24: making progress towards climate goals and investing in the future. Inter IKEA newsroom, 30 January 2025. ikea.com
  21. 21. Wesfarmers Limited (2026). 2026 Full-year results. ASX announcement, 27 August 2026. s2.listcorp.com
  22. 22. Aldi UK (2026). Deliveroo and Aldi set to launch on-demand grocery delivery. Aldi UK Press Office, 24 September 2026. aldipresscentre.co.uk
  23. 23. Zalando SE (2026). Zalando delivers another quarter of profitable growth in Q2, accelerates B2B expansion and continues innovating through AI. Press release, 4 August 2026. corporate.zalando.com
  24. 24. Zalando SE (2024). Zalando evolves strategy to cover larger share of fashion and lifestyle e-commerce market with pan-European ecosystem for customers and partners. Press release, 13 March 2024. corporate.zalando.com
  25. 25. Aldi UK (2026). Aldi begins fresh produce operations at UK’s largest automated supermarket warehouse. Aldi UK Press Office, 23 September 2026. aldipresscentre.co.uk
  26. 26. Marks and Spencer Group plc (2025). Interim results for the 26 weeks ended 27 September 2025: Reshaping M&S. M&S corporate, 5 November 2025. corporate.marksandspencer.com
  27. 27. J Sainsbury plc (2024). Strategy update: Next Level Sainsbury’s. Press release, 7 February 2024. corporate.sainsburys.co.uk
  28. 28. J Sainsbury plc (2026). First quarter trading statement for the 16 weeks to 20 June 2026. Trading statement, 30 June 2026. corporate.sainsburys.co.uk

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