Already with 1,600 US stores, Aldi's internal studies show its prices are 21% lower than its lowest-priced rivals, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc, according to chief executive Jason Hart. Price wars are roiling the entire retail sector -- from department stores to discount chains -- but it is nowhere as intense as in the grocery sector. Wal-Mart stocks about 30,000-40,000 SKU's of products similar to ones Aldi sells, and only 30% of that are private labels. But the explosive growth in private-label products is on the radar of Wal-Mart chief executive Doug McMillon. For example, its Simply Nature range of private-label products grew 53% to $300 million in 2016 from a year ago.

Source: Bangkok Post May 12, 2017 03:00 UTC