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Aldi

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TITLE: INDIVIDUAL CASE ANALYSIS

NAME: DENIS MONEGHETTI (2661864)

UNIT CODE: 2010, TP1: BUMGT 5926

UNIT NAME: STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE

TUTOR: DR. ABDUL MOYEEN

WORKSHOPS: WEDNESDAY 1730HRS – 2030HRS

DATE SUBMITTED: FRIDAY 19 MARCH 2010

ALDI IN AUSTRALIA

INTRODUCTION

Since opening its first Australian store in 2001 Aldi has expanded considerably in the supermarket area by taking a healthy percentage of the retail grocery market. It currently has over 200 stores in Australia and is now be approaching 10% of the market (Aldi, 2010). It has a unique business strategy and should continue to have an impact in the Australian market. This paper explores its current and future business strategy and potential expansion into other States and Territories.

CURRENT BUSINESS STRATEGY

According to Hill, Jones, Galvin and Haidar (2007) competitive advantage is “when a company is able to outperform its rivals, as commonly measured by the attainment of profits above the industry norm”(p. 96). This can be more simply stated as ‘keeping one step ahead of the rest’. Critical to this is creating customer and company value. A successful company will create a business strategy based on its strengths to provide competitive advantage. This is demonstrated.

Hill, Jones, Galvin and Haidar (2007)

In the case of Aldi, competitive advantage is obtained predominately through radical efficiencies without compromising quality. To a lesser extent its strong customer responsiveness and relationships with its suppliers contribute. These characteristics can be highlighted with evidence of their business practice.

| |Business Practice |
|Superior Characteristics | |
|Efficiency | |
| |Limited product range enables |
| |buying power |
| |cost control |
| |small warehouses strategically located |
| |small stores with similar layout & product presentation |
| |Small number of employees being paid above award wages |
| |Limited opening hours |
| |Limited marketing, market research or public relations |
| |Uniform pricing |
| |Own brands |
| |Limited waste |
|Quality | |
| |Local produce, 80% Australian made |
| |Internal & external product testing |
| |Majority produced by well known brand manufacturers |
|Customer | |
|Responsiveness |Refunds or exchange for unsatisfied customers |
| |Customer basic needs a priority |
| |Provision of only high quality products |
|Supplier Relationships | |
| |Payment in 30 days |
| |Global potential |
| |Long standing deals |

Aldi has therefore adopted a cost-leader strategy which Hill, Jones, Galvin and Haidar (2007) define as “lower costs means the cost-leader can charge a lower price than its competitors yet still make the same level of profit.”(p. 166)

FUTURE BUSINESS STRATEGY

Advantages and disadvantages for a preferred strategy can normally be found in Porter’s five forces model as displayed below

[pic]

There are some dangers to a cost-leader strategy. Competition may try to become the cost leader. However the current operating structures of Coles and Woolworths would preclude this from happening; they would have to establish separate supply chains and stores, and staff them along the Aldi model. While they maintain dominant share this is unlikely to happen particularly as their move into home brands seems to have stalled. Another danger is becoming too focussed on cost reduction leading to ignoring customer needs. Although Aldi does not conduct any formal market research it appears to be in touch and sympathetic to customer needs.

The only real danger could come from new entrants. Lee (2008) in the Sydney Morning Herald reported the views of Tom Stephens, president of Brand Strategy Consultants “A relaxation in the zoning laws and the success of Aldi in Australia is likely to prompt the other big German discounter, Lidl, and the Danish discounting chain Netto to consider Australia” (p. 45). He also says threats from the USA giant Wal-mart and Tesco from the UK are unlikely. In a changing environment Aldi would need to build on other superior building blocks, in particular customer responsiveness and their supplier relationships. This would provide more of a differentiation strategy to their approach.

Aldi’s business strategy seems sustainable in the short term and should not be changed.

EXPANSION WITHIN AUSTRALIA

Upon first glance it could be thought Aldi should expand throughout Australia with stores developed in South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Territories. However this should be re-considered in the light of Aldi’s historical and successful strategy in particular establishment and on-going costs and difficulties maintaining key company consistencies.

There are particular issues with the remote States and their principal cities, namely Perth and Darwin and to a lesser extent Hobart in Tasmania. Aldi purchase land as cheaply as possible; prices in Darwin and Perth are very high. There are preferred construction firms across the east coast that operate under similar condition to product suppliers. Buildings, both warehouses and stores, would also be more expensive.

However of greatest significance would be the practices around their fixed price policy and the use of local product. The remoteness would involve extra freight and infrastructure costs that would affect Aldi’s profit margin. The strategy of targeting low to middle income earners near major competitors does not apply particularly in Western Australia; the duopoly of Coles and Woolworths does not exist in Perth. Furthermore the demographics are significantly different due to the impact of the resources boom.

Planning rules that vary from State to State will make it difficult to establish stores in some areas. In a discussion blog following a Four Corners program Taylor (2008) stated “there is some legislation stopping it from entering the South Australian market”. Despite potential there is no immediate future in South Australia.

These restrictions do not apply to the Australian Capital Territory and ingress into this market would be advisable with low entry costs and good ongoing profit margins due to the existing economies of scale in surrounding areas.

It is interesting to note (Aldi, 2010) that Aldi has now established over 200 stores without any in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania or the Northern Territory. There are stores in the Australian Capital Territory.

CONCLUSION

Aldi current fully utilises their resources and capabilities to create competitive advantage by operating with a low cost strategy based on superior efficiency and quality. This is an excellent strategy which should be maintained. There are few dangers to sustainability apart from the threat posed by new entrants such as the other international giants Lidl and Netto.

Entry to more remote locations such as Western Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory would require movement away from the current key consistent superior efficiency building block and would most likely result in reduced profit margins in these areas. Regulation does not allow the establishment of stores in South Australia. If this were to change it would good a good potential market. The Australian Capital Territory would be an excellent new market yield great returns using the current strategy.

REFERENCES

Aldi. (2010). ALDI Australia homepage. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/service/6991.htm?WT.z_src=main

Hill, C. W. L., Jones, G. R., Galvin, P., & Haidar, A. (2007). Strategic Management (2nd Australasian ed.). Milton, QLD, Australia: John Wiley & Sons

Lee, J., (2008, August 16). Reforms open the door for Aldi rivals. The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 45. Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?

Taylor, R., (2008, September 1). ALDI + South Australia. Four Corners Forums, Retrieved March 10, 2010 from http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=21&m=32419&ps=20&dm=2

-----------------------
Resources

Distinctive
Competencies

Capabilities

Superior:

• Efficiency
• Quality
• Innovation
• Customer Responsiveness

Differentiation

Low Cost

Value
Creation

Superior
Profitability

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

• Supplier Relationships a Priority • Bargaining power through quantity • Less affected by input price rises • • No Price Threat From New Players

Threat of New Entrants

• Brand Loyalty • Economies of Scale • Difficult to set up low cost businesses

Industry Rivalry

• Other companies cannot match low prices

• Prices readily adjustable • History of “Cooperative” Pricing

Threat of Substitutes

• Prices can be reduced •
Bargaining Power of Buyers

• Customers like low prices • Responsive To Customer Needs

• Continual Innovation

MEDIUM

LOW

LOW

LOW

LOW

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