Only Put One Sheep: The 11 Secrets of Retail Giant Aldi Defeating Walmart

Author: (German) Brands; Chen Yan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Is it better to raise one sheep or a flock? Is it the "less is more" Aldi model or the "bigger is better" Walmart model? Aldi achieved extraordinary success with its simple strategy, "Less is More." It evolved from a third-rate small store into the world's most successful retailer. Some say, "Aldi is a landmark achievement of Western business philosophy." It is the world's largest wholesaler, purchasing goods worth over 30 million euros annually, while Walmart is only one-twentieth of that. Its market value reaches 40 billion euros, equivalent to Daimler-Chrysler's. Amidst the challenging environment of the food retail industry, its sales continue to grow year after year, and its profits set records. Such astonishing achievements are attributed to the business philosophy consistently practiced by the founders of Aldi, the Albrecht brothers, for over 50 years. Almost no marketing strategy has been analyzed and studied so openly and thoroughly. The secret of Aldi's success is so simple that it's almost unbelievable, making it difficult to imitate. In the famous German chain supermarket Aldi, you can see many things: products, prices, checkout counters, and how cashiers work, but no one can see the behind-the-scenes procurement and management processes, nor can anyone see the principles guiding Aldi employees and the corporate culture. To outsiders, these have always been mysteries. And this book will take you into the mysterious world of Aldi. After reading it, you will realize: success is actually so "simple."