Overview
- On Friday, October 16, 2026 Aldi Süd confirmed it has reduced its permanent range from about 4,550 to roughly 4,300 articles and cut branded items from around 850 to about 700.
- The company says the move targets variant depth rather than categories and aims to simplify logistics from ordering to store delivery to lower costs.
- Private-label lines stayed near 2,000 items and are being used to hold prices down, with examples such as a River Cola price drop illustrating the effect.
- Some well-known brands like Rotkäppchen, Zott and Ehrmann were removed from steady shelf space and will now appear mainly in occasional promotions while coffee and confectionery brands were largely retained.
- Rivals are taking a different path as Lidl and Netto have slightly expanded branded offerings, which leaves Aldi focused on operational efficiency over broader brand choice and could affect customer selection and price competition in German stores.