Aldi is to stop selling newspapers and magazines across its UK store estate, four years after introducing them.
Bays of magazines and newspapers, usually found on the left upon entering stores, are to be removed from next month, The Grocer understands.
Aldi has provided no official comment on the move but a source confirmed: “Aldi is stopping selling newspapers and magazines as it believes space can be better utilised, and that the decision will have limited impact on customers.”
Along with fresh food, the addition of newspapers and magazines was seen as one of the moves that helped Aldi transform from a discounter top-up destination to supermarket catering for the complete family shop. In 2014, the year newspapers and magazines were added, Aldi beat Tesco on the average number of items per basket, at 16.9 compared with 16.6.
A separate source within Aldi told The Grocer staff were worried about the “fallout” from customers. “Every single store has been sent a memo saying the magazines and newspapers and the units that hold them are being removed.
“So if people are coming in for the usual weekly shop, they’ll find they won’t have access to their usual newspapers and magazines, which many are used to having.”
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