Aldi Qualitative Research and Consumer Journey

THE

ALDI

consumer journey

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MEET OUR TEAM

MORGAN BRETSCHER

NICOLE SHEINKOP

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COLIN MACGREGOR

SYDNEY POWERS

ALEX WEINSTOCK

SHARDAE WILLIAMS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PROJECT OVERVIEW......5 SITUATION ANALYSIS......6 PRIMARY RESEARCH......12 TARGET PROFILE......36 CONSUMER JOURNEY......39 TOUCH POINTS & RECOMMENDATIONS.....49 CONCLUSION......60 SOURCES......62 Firstdraftbook.indd 4

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PROJECT OVERVIEW As part of the consumer journey team, our task was to uncover deep-seated consumer insights and, based on primary research, develop recommendations for the Aldi brand to meet consumers’ needs and expectations. We conducted two focus groups, one for consumers loyal to Aldi, and one for prospects who have never shopped at the store.

We then conducted four shop-alongs, in which we were able to track the consumer journey throughout the store. Based on our research, we uncovered important insights and developed recommendations for Aldi to better position themselves toward the millennial market.

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SECONDARY RESEARCH

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COMPANY HISTORY 1954 THE ALBRECHT FAMILY OPENS THEIR FIRST SELF-SERVICE STORE IN ESSEN, GERMANY

1976

2018

ALDI OPENS ITS FIRST U.S. BASED STORE IN IOWA

ALDI HAS NEARLY 2,000 STORES IN THE U.S.

THE STORE NAME IS CHANGED TO ALDI AND THE FIRST ALDI STORE IS OPENED

1961

ALDI EXPANDS THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA

1990-2008

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COMPANY MISSION & VALUES Aldi’s goal is to provide high quality food, responsive customer service, and everyday low prices while emphasizing a quick-and-easy shopping experience. Because most of the groceries provided are Aldi-exclusive brands, consumers can avoid having to worry about which brand is best. At the end of the day, Aldi advocates that low prices do not have to equal low quality.

Three Core Values: Consistency

Simplicity

Responsibility

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CURRENT MARKETING The “Think Differentli” campaign, launched in September of 2018, highlights the difference of an Aldi shopping experience compared to other grocery stores. The campaign promotes Aldi’s quality selection of hand-picked items through television spots, online video and social media advertising, as well as print.

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CURRENT CONSUMERS 1st

55-64 years old Caucasian Average income of $40k-60k Married

2nd

On the rise

65+ yeards old African American Average income of $60k-80k

25-34 years old Price-conscious Shop to stock their pantry Value quality products

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COMPETITORS Walmart is the largest company by revenue in the world, and is also Aldi’s chief national competitor. With over 6,300 locations across the United States, Walmart is a hard competitor to avoid. Like Aldi, one of Walmart’s main promotional messages is its everyday low prices. Compared to Aldi, Walmart carries far more variety when it comes to product selection. It carries products from some of the most popular brands in the world, but also offers a variety of products under its “Great Value” private label brand.

Costco is a national competitor of Aldi’s. Costco is a membership warehouse club that is best known for selling products in bulk. The store provides a wide range of outdoor products and clothing and is known for serving its customers samples. Costco does not do any advertising, purely relying on word-of-mouth promotion in order to recruit new members. This allows the store to focus all of their resources on sales volume. Selling products in bulk also allows Costco to keep prices lower than most competitors, but its membership-only policy is a large barrier in gaining new customers.

Lidl is Aldi’s direct competitor. Lidl was founded in 1930 in Germany. The first Lidl discount store was opened in 1973, copying the Aldi business strategy. Much like Aldi, Lidl offers a curated selection of products in order to keep costs low. In the United States, most of Lidl’s locations are on the East Coast, but the chain is growing rapidly. Both stores offer a large amount of private-label brands, which allows for low prices. This includes a variety of organic, gluten-free, and vegetarian options. Aldi has a growth advantage over Lidl currently, but Lidl is making progress.

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METHODOLOGY For our primary research, we conducted two focus groups and four shop-alongs.

We split the focus groups into two categories: loyalists and prospects. Our logic behind this was that we would be able to gain a better sense of how “the average consumer” shops, and what they want out of their shopping experience.

The shop-alongs put us in the consumers’ shoes that allowed us to follow their journey through the store. Following our focus groups and shop-alongs, we were able to take away some key insights.

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HOW DID WE CHOOSE OUR PARTICIPANTS? Before we conducted our focus groups and shop-alongs, we used an online screener to ensure we were getting the right participants. The purpose of our screener was to make sure our participants fit our target market: millennials aged 22-28. We also made sure participants lived in the Columbia area and could be observed during a shop-along or attend a focus group. We wanted to avoid anyone who worked in a grocery store or who was studying or already had a career in marketing or advertising, in order to avoid bias. The screener divided participants into our twocategories (loyalists and prospects) by asking if they shop at Aldi, and if so, how often. Demographic information was collected for purposes of having background information on our participants.

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THE SCREENER

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MEET OUR SHOPPERS 16

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“I appreciate that Aldi carries a lot of niche, health-market products that you can’t typically find in a regular grocery store.”

ALEXIS HALL, 22

Carly goes to Aldi at least once every two weeks for specific items, and she doesn’t notice a quality difference between Aldi products and name brand products. Carly browsed the “Aldi Finds” aisles looking for seasonal products, and she was upset when she couldn’t find cookie dough.

She said that is one item that is sometimes in stock, but not always.

Alexis goes to Aldi about once a week, but will sometimes go to Clover’s or Hyvee instead because they have a “wider produce selection.” After getting all of her groceries, most of them coming from the produce section, Alexis stayed a little while after to wander around the inner aisles and frozen section.

“I like that Aldi sells a few important foods and drinks that are cheaper than at Walmart or HyVee.”

CARLY DAVIS, 23 17 Firstdraftbook.indd 17

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“My grandma is incredibly environmentally friendly and loves shopping at Aldi, so she told me about it. I just never tried it out because I didn’t really believe that it was that much cheaper than other stores.”

TIMOTHY WIANT, 22

Maddie remembered she would have to buy bags upon walking into the store, but she wasn’t bothered because she knows they’re only 6 cents. Maddie will not go to Aldi if she needs something specific, because she is not always sure if they will have it, but she said the low prices and the use of reusable bags are what keep her coming back.

This was Timothy’s first time shopping at Aldi. He was confused when he walked into the store, as his usual grocers have a right-to-left store layout, unlike Aldi’s. Timothy felt eco-friendly for bringing his own bag into the store and was impressed that overall, the most expensive thing he bought was craft beer for $6.99.

“I’ve only shopped here a few times, but it’s really been a discovery. Everything is so much cheaper here.”

MADDIE SUTER, 22

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SHOP-ALONGS

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SHOP-ALONG FINDINGS Our shoppers liked the encouragement to use recyclable bags, because it made them feel more eco-friendly.

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Everyone stuck to the perimeter of the store first, but then wandered through the middle aisles for the items they were missing.

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There was some confusion from occasional shoppers when it came to Aldi’s layout and organization of products.

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Our shoppers enjoyed being able to find their basic groceries for a lower price, but were frustrated when they couldn’t find specific items they wanted.

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Factors that will motivate our shoppers to return are the low prices, unique products and eco-friendly practices.

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FOCUS GROUPS LOYALIST

VER SUS

A loyalist is someone who chooses Aldi as their primary grocer.

We chose loyalists because it is important to understand what it is about Aldi that makes someone want to exclusively shop there, and what specifically about the store hooks the shopper. We wanted to see what frequent shoppers would change about the store and what a typical shopping trip for them is like.

PROSPECT

A prospect is someone who has never shopped at Aldi.

This group gives insight into why shoppers choose other stores and what aspects of those stores they enjoy or dislike. This allows for insights into what aspects could be incorporated into Aldi for a better shopper experience.

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MEET OUR FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS 22 Firstdraftbook.indd 22

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Kayla buys a selective amount of ingredients to make meals throughout the week, and most of her groceries include fresh produce. When she is choosing where to shop, Kayla considers price as well as how crowded the store usually is. Kayla enjoys shopping at Aldi because of the low price and the fact that it is generally less crowded with college kids than at a store like Walmart.

“One way I think Aldi can improve would be to employ more people to work the check-out aisles. This could cut down the time spent waiting in line and make my shopping trips quicker.�

KAYLA MCDOWELL, 23 23

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“I understand that Aldi is a smaller grocer, but I would enjoy a little bit of a wider selection.”

JACK HUFFMAN, 22

Tommy only grocery shops once every two or three weeks. He is heavily motivated by the location and amount of time it will take him to get to the store. Tommy can become frustrated when he can’t find what he is looking for in the store and has to search through many aisles. Tommy shops with his eyes and enjoys Aldi’s smaller selection as he doesn’t have to spend time choosing between many products.

Convenience is a major motivating factor for Jack, and he usually chooses his groceries based on what he is craving that day. Jack loves grocery shopping and finds the experience enjoyable. He is an impulse buyer, and he usually walks through every aisle in the store. Jack would rather pay for off brand products and save money than buy name brand products that are more expensive.

“I would appreciate Aldi having an online map of what products are in each aisle, so that I always know where to look.”

TOMMY HOPPER, 22 24 Firstdraftbook.indd 24

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Kelly normally eats whenever she has the time in her busy schedule. She enjoys meal prepping but doesn’t always feel like she can block out the time for it. Kelly is a healthy eater and usually shops at Lucky’s market.

“If I shopped at Aldi, I would stick to the outside, but I would stop to look at the seasonal items. Because I’m not too familiar with Aldi, I would probably forget to bring a quarter for the shopping cart and a reusable bag.”

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“If I shopped at Aldi, I would be nervous that they wouldn’t have the scope of what I want. I know they have a very limited selection.”

Sophie’s only grocery-related frustration occurs when she actually has to cook her meals.

Cost is a driving factor for her, and she is heavily influenced by pop-up displays and advertising.

Her grocery store of choice is Hyvee.

SOPHIE JASZEWSKI, 22

Alex has a very regimented diet and often meal preps to accomodate it.

He is very health-conscious and has noticed that food affects him differently as he has aged. Alex typically shops at Hyvee for meat and produce, because he believes those items are high quality.

“If I went to Aldi, I would take a lap around the outside of the store and then leave. I have a concern about quality, which is primarily because I’m unfamiliar with the items.”

ALEX BREEDEN, 24 26

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“If I shopped at Aldi, I would buy a small amount of products that I know are less expensive than other stores.”

SAWYER NOVAK, 22

Colin will stock up for meal preparation once a week, but he finds himself making two or three trips a week to different stores depending on what he is cooking. On Mondays, Colin will get a frozen meal and save his ingredients to meal prep for the rest of the week.

Colin’s primary grocer is Lucky’s Market.

Sawyer is mainly motivated by his personal taste and the price of the products in a store. To prepare for a shopping trip, Sawyer makes a list, but if something catches his eye in the store he will buy it. Sawyer enjoys meal prepping but becomes frustrated when he has to buy many ingredients for one recipe.

“I get the feeling that people shop at Aldi when they want to buy in bulk, and this doesn’t appeal to me because I am only cooking for myself.”

COLIN O’BRIEN, 24 27

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DISCUSSION GUIDE Lifestyle Describe your average day Food and eating How does food or eating play a role in your daily life?

When do you eat during the day?

PROBE: Why eat out instead of cooking?

What are the benefits of eating at home?

What affects the time of day you eat?

What makes you choose the food you eat?

How do you prepare to grocery shop?

PROBE: Do you make a list? Why or why not?

Projective Exercise

What is a typical grocery shopping experience like for you from the moment you decide to go grocery shopping to when you are putting your groceries away? Please draw this experience.

PROBE: What store did you think of when drawing this journey?

PROBE: For prospective consumers: Grocery shopping What do you picture Aldi to look like? How does it differ from the store you were thinking What factors do you consider when you are of? Please draw this. selecting a store to go grocery shopping?

PROBE: For prospective customers:

PROBE: Which is the most important When would you factor in bags to your of those factors. Why? shopping experience at Aldi?

What emotions do you associate with grocery shopping?

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PROJECTIVE EXERCISE: LOYALISTS

KAYLA MCDOWELL

TOMMY HOPPER

JACK HUFFMAN

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PROJECTIVE EXERCISE: KELLY HULL

SOPHIE JASZEWSKI

EXPERIENCE AT GROCER OF CHOICE

EXPECTED EXPERIENCE AT ALDI

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PROSPECTS COLIN O’BRIEN

ALEX BREEDEN

SAWYER NOVAK

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DISCUSSION GUIDE De-briefing the activity Please explain your drawing. What are you feeling at each step in your experience?

PROBE: What pushes you toward a specific section of a store?

Personal shopping preferences What are the top items you shop for?

Do you ever consider the type of bag you get at checkout or do you bring your own bag?

Do you bring your own bag?

Life circumstances How has the role of grocery shopping and grocery shopping itself changed after leaving college?

If you are still in college, how do you think your habits will change?

Media What form of social media do you use the most?

How often do you interact with this media?

Is there any content involving food or grocery on this media?

What do you think your grocer can do to improve a shopping experience?

Selection What do you think of your typical grocer’s selection?

What products or brands do you purchase most?

PROBE: What are recommendations you have to better your grocers selection?

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FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS A common trigger that gets millennials to go grocery shopping is noticing they’ve been eating out too much.

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Health is top priority for millennials, so they consider what’s good for them when buying food.

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Being able to find speciality or unique products matters more than being able to find staple items.

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Overall frustrations when grocery shopping include long lines and time spent in the check-out lane.

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Millennials are willing to miss out on name brand products in order to save money. However, low price can sometimes be associated with low quality.

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FOCUS GROUP WORD CLOUD After analyzing our research, we wanted to find a way to sum up our findings from our focus group participants. To showcase their responses, we created this word cloud, which shows all the words our participants used most. This is a way to visualize the aspects of grocery shopping that were most prominent during the discussion.

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WHO ARE WE TRYING TO REACH?

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MEET THE DILIGENT OPPORTUNIST. KNOWS JUST WHAT THEY WANT. Diligent Opportunists are health-conscious and prioritize personal taste and the ability to customize their food. They’re not afraid to miss out on name brand products for the sake of quality.

LESS IS MORE. Diligent Opportunists are smart, practical shoppers who may be intimidated by larger stores. A smaller selection is no problem for them, as they already know just what they’re going to buy. They stick to their “essentials” but also quickly browse the aisles for any new items or deals before leaving the store.

KNOWS JUST WHEN THEY WANT IT.

The Diligent Opportunists are men or women aged 22-28 who do not have the time to wander aimlessly around a store.

They buy their groceries routinely and like to know exactly where their favorite products are located in the store.

THEY ARE WHO THEY ARE. The Diligent Opportunist would rather spend time socializing in person than scrolling through social media, so they’re often not bothered by the latest trends or swayed by flashy advertising.

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CONSUMER INSIGHT

WHAT WOULD OUR CONSUMER SAY? “When I go grocery shopping, my goal is to get in and get out.

I’m becoming more independent: I’m finally entering into a career and living on my own so I mainly just need to cook for myself. When I grocery shop, I usually do not carry a list, because I’m good about sticking to my staple items. I will occasionally go outside of my comfort zone and try new things.

However, cooking a full meal and cleaning up afterwards is something I do not enjoy because it is time consuming. I aim for a quick and efficient shopping experience, so I stay away from stores you could get lost in for hours. Not knowing where things are located in the store is frustrating to me, because looking for certain items makes the trip even longer. As I’m getting older, I’m becoming more aware that I need to eat healthier, so I enjoy knowing what’s in my food. While I don’t stick to an insanely strict diet, I still value healthy, high-quality foods.”

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STEP 1: FOOD FOR THOUGHT Annoyed, Reluctant The Diligent Opportunist’s journey to the grocery store begins with a sudden awareness of their spending habits and the quantity of food they have in their home. It can also come from the desire to prepare or consume a specific meal, or a special occasion in which certain grocery items are necessary. Making the trip to the grocery store is usually accompanied with an “I just want to get it over with” attitude.

“I know I’ve been spending too much money eating out, and I don’t have enough food in my house to make a meal. It’s time to go to the grocery store.”

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STEP 2: WHAT’S MISSING FROM MY PANTRY? Organized, Proactive The next step step in the Diligent Opportunist’s journey is to make a list of the groceries they need.

Usually this list is written in the notes section of their smartphones.

A physical list of groceries is written out but is more likely to be typed into a note on a smartphone. If no list is made, our target takes a mental inventory of their current food items and pictures what groceries they commonly buy.

“I know what I usually buy at the store, but I want to jot it down so that I don’t forget anything that I need.”

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STEP 3: SO MANY CHOICES, SO LITTLE TIME Thoughtful, Practical After deciding what products they’re going to buy, the Diligent Opportunist needs to choose which store they will be shopping at. Trying to better their spending habits, our target will choose a store that they already know has low prices and products they regularly consume.

Location and convenience also play a large role in where they will choose to shop.

“I want to go to a grocery store that doesn’t take long to get to and where I can get good deals.”

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STEP 4: LET’S GET THIS BREAD Motivated, Energetic When entering the grocery store, the Diligent Opportunist may face some confusion when confronting the carts they have to put a quarter in, as this is an aspect unique to Aldi. They may look for signs to direct them, or may already know through word of mouth from friends or family. Regardless, they are determined to get what they need to make their shopping trip quick and easy.

“When I get to the store, I grab a grocery cart and pull out my list. I’m ready to get through the store quickly and efficiently.”

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STEP 5: WHAT AM I FORGETTING? Determined, Curious Food habits strongly influence what part of the store a consumer will spend the most time in. The Diligent Opportunist values healthy items, so they will usually stick to the perimeter of the store stocking up on meat and fresh produce. After their staple items have been found, our target will quickly browse the middle aisles for anything they missed before heading to the checkout.

“As I’m browsing through the aisles, I’m keeping a mental note of my list that I checked when I walked in. I usually stick to the perimeter of the store where I can find meat and produce, but will sometimes wander through the middle out of curiosity.”

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STEP 6: NOW I’M HANGRY Frustrated, “Checked out” As the Diligent Opportunist reaches the end of their shopping trip, they may feel tired and hungry looking at all of their groceries. A sense of relief will be felt if there is a short line to check out, or frustration may occur if they see that they will have to wait.

Shoppers new to Aldi will notice that they have to purchase bags if they did not bring their own from home, which may be startling as this is not a common practice in other stores.

“When I’m in the checkout line, I am not in the mood to wait very long. I often look at the food in my cart and become hangry. I’m ready to get home and make the food I just bought.”

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STEP 7: READY, SET, GO Worn out, Antsy The Diligent Opportunist returns home and attempts to get all the groceries inside in one or two trips. They try to put all of the fresh groceries away as soon as possible so that they can finally relax.

“I’ve finally made it home. I’m ready to get all of these groceries in my house as fast as possible so that I can kick back and relax.”

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STEP 8: TREAT YOURSELF Relaxed, Satisfied The Diligent Opportunist will often choose a recent purchase to consume as a “reward” for completing their shopping trip and putting everything away. They will look back on their shopping trip and evaluate whether or not it was successful based on how quickly they were able to find what they needed.

“Grabbing a snack after putting my groceries away and lounging on the couch is my way of rewarding myself for getting my grocery shopping done.”

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HOW CAN WE REACH OUR TARGET PROFILE AT EACH STEP OF THEIR JOURNEY?

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PAID MEDIA Paid media consists of external marketing efforts such as pay-per-click advertising, branded content and display ads. Aldi makes use of paid media through various ad campaigns promoting the brand’s unique products and low prices. In September of 2018, Aldi kicked off their “Shop Differentli� campaign, a series of commercials designed to show how the brand delivers quality, selection and value to help consumers save money. The campaign includes commercials on broadcast and cable networks, including streaming platforms and online video, along with social media and ads in print and across digital properties.

Over the years, Aldi has rolled out multiple TV spots comparing Aldi brands to name brands, illustrating that Aldi provides products with similar taste and quality at a lower price. The commercials portray a consumer, usually a middle-aged woman, saying that she likes a certain name brand product, but that she also likes the Aldi brand. Because the Aldi brand is priced lower, that is the product that she chooses for her family. This format is consistent for a wide variety of Aldi products to show that they are the better choice when compared to name brands.

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RECOMMENDATIONS The majority of Aldi commercials portray middle-aged women that are usually playing the role of a mother. While this is beneficial in relating to Aldi’s current target of 55- 64-year-old married women, it falls short in communicating its message to young millennials. To better make use of its paid media, Aldi should start using younger actors in its ads and portraying situations that millennials can relate to. Compared to a commercial showing a mother trying to decide which yogurt to feed her family, a spot involving a young adult choosing which wine to bring to a party would make a bigger impact.

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EARNED MEDIA Earned media is publicity gained through various promotional efforts. Aldi has gained publicity through news releases and articles. Aldi’s recent awards and new products have generated discussion about its brand. Products like Aldi’s 2018 Advent calendar have sold out in stores, and consumers are talking about it on social media as well. News releases were sent out after Aldi received awards for Retailer of The Year as well as the Good Housekeeping seal, which is considered the gold standard in helping guide shoppers. Aldi created the hashtag #SaveKevin from their paid ads on TV, however, the hashtag has sparked conversation on Twitter, and people have been interacting with the brand by sharing their thoughts about Kevin The Carrot. Through Aldi’s use of earned media, they are better able to promote its brand and gain more awareness.

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RECOMMENDATION We recommend that Aldi use earned media to get their name in publications that our target audience is viewing. Buzzfeed and Popsugar are places that our target commonly interacts, and both platforms have a good chance of grabbing their attention.

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OWNED MEDIA Owned media is any advertising platform that is not paid for, but is managed by a company. This can include medias such as a company-controlled Twitter or Instagram account, a website, or a blog. Aldi makes use of multiple social media platforms to engage with consumers, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Aldi’s social media platform followings range from 43k to 2.3 million followers and interactions. Through our secondary research, we learned that Instagram is the most influential platform for our target market, with sponsored content from influencers occasionally affecting what products they choose to buy. None of our focus group participants mentioned a knowledge of Aldi’s website, let alone its blog. Another feature that none of our focus group participants were aware of was the Shopping List feature. This allows online browsers to search through Aldi products at their preferred store and add it to a shopping list that can be emailed or printed.

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RECOMMENDATIONS Aldi Finds is a unique grouping of various Aldi products that changes week by week.

Our loyalists noted that they enjoy seeing different products in the stores, which can range from crockpots to pillowcases. These are items that millennials purchase as a part of their transition to living in their own space. An emphasis on Aldi Finds on social media platforms would help pique consumers’ interest and get them into the store each week for something new. Ads on Twitter and Instagram emphasizing that the deals on those products only last for a week would create a sense of urgency and encourage prospective consumers to come give them a try. Aldi should also advertise their ability to assist customers with their shopping list, showing them what their store has in stock. This would eliminate frustration with desired products being out of stock, and instead of driving a consumer to a competitor, they would simply venture to a different Aldi store that has their product.

One frustration with grocery shopping we heard time and again in our primary research was the issue of shoppers not being able to find products they needed in the aisles. To ease this struggle, we recommend that Aldi post a map of their store layout online. This would make it easier for shoppers to check beforehand where each product is located and allow them to get in and out of the store quicker.

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WORD OF MOUTH When deciding on where to shop, the opinions of peers and the influence of family members can have a strong influence. In essence, we care what people think. Even if Aldi has stellar ads and a prominent social media presence, word of mouth can still make or break the consumer’s decision. A few of our focus group participants said they go to a certain store because that’s where their family shops, and shopping there was a habit they never broke. If Aldi can generate positive word of mouth, it will be able to draw more consumers to the store.

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RECOMMENDATION Aldi should encourage consumers to rate their shopping experience online through mediums such as Google, Facebook, or Yelp. This could be done with a sign at the exit of the store telling shoppers to leave a review. This would give potential consumers a plethora of honest reviews to help them determine if Aldi is the right grocer for them. Aldi could also help generate positive word of mouth on college campuses by handing out free Aldi bags including promotional flyers. This would help raise brand awareness among millennials and encourage them to give Aldi a try.

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IN-STORE EXPERIENCE From a marketing standpoint, one of the most important things a retailer can do is provide a pleasant experience inside their store. This can come from good customer service or interesting experiential activities, but also by having an appealing layout. It is no secret that consumers like products and places that “look good.� Bright colors, clean facilities, and creative displays all attract shoppers into stores.

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RECOMMENDATION A recurring theme that we uncovered in our primary research was the belief that Aldi is a low-quality grocer due to its store layout.

The main complaint we heard was in regard to the way that Aldi shelves its products. The method of shelving products in boxes stacked on top of each other reminded our participants of stores like Sam’s or Costco, where you can buy products in bulk. This created the perception of cheapness. To change this, we recommend that Aldi reconsider the way their shelves are stocked and potentially remove the boxes to create a more appealing display.

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Through our primary and secondary research, we developed the consumer journey for our target profile, the diligent opportunist. We took notice of recurring themes that were brought up in our shop-alongs and focus groups, and recommended several ways for Aldi to improve, ranging from store layout to social media presence. We believe that by following these recommendations through their key touchpoints, Aldi will be able to generate more brand awareness and create a positive consumer journey for their target market.

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https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2009/bigplayers-think-small-in-format-fights.html https://careers.aldi.us/about https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-shopper-demographics-2016-10 https://www.rd.com/food/fun/what-is-ald https://www.laurengreutman.com/10-things-ive-learnedfrom-being-a-10-year-aldi-shopper/ https://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1124867/reasons-to-shop-at-aldi https://www.fungglobalretailtech.com/research/shops-groceries-look-us-grocery-store-demographics/ https://books.google.com/books?id=c4jgguFPYLsC&pg=PA73&lpg=PA73&dq=aldi+shopper+profile&source=bl&ots=ATv-GzT2XW&sig =cTk_Sr7mfJznNKC6fIqeW6-wTcU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjR567JqsrdAhVL9IMKHScICa4Q6AEwCHoECAIQAQ#v=onepage&q=aldi%20shopper%20profile&f=false 63 Firstdraftbook.indd 63

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https://www.businessinsider.com/whole-foods-customers-vsaldi-2015-5?r=UK&IR=T http://academic.mintel.com/display/875013/?highlight#hit1 https://youtu.be/Jr_QIMEZsnc http://academic.mintel.com.proxy.mul.missouri.edu/display/875011/ https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-room/2017/nielsen-and-aldi-sign-strategic-multi-year-relationship-to-integrate-shopper-ad-effectiveness-analytics.html https://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/we-hear-mccann-eliminated-from-aldi-u-s-review/142654 https://www.slideshare.net/paulmuston3/aldi-marketing https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-statistics-for-social-media-managers/#advertising

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