Aldi, Inc.

Some are painfully obvious, others will blindside you. But nontraditional competition means much more than Wal-Mart, and each grocer must decide which suspects most bear watching.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The landscape of the food retailing industry continues to change dramatically, with traditional grocery chains being squeezed out of the picture by the growth of alternative formats. A new report from global trade credit insurer Euler Hermes ACI, based here, emphasizes that these other outlets -- namely supercenters, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, drugstores, and convenience stores -- are increasing their grocery square footage and sales, thus taking a big bite out of the consumer base of the traditional grocery chains.

BATAVIA, Ill. -- Limited assortment retailer Aldi here has added frozen dinners to its premium, yet affordable, exclusive-label program under the Grandessa brand.

They may be more challenging to run in certain respects, but extreme-value stores can really pay off for certain small operators.

ALDI knows who its customers are. And I'm not one of them.

ESSEN, Germany -- International limited-assortment supermarket company ALDI, based here, has confirmed that it is considering expanding into the New Zealand market, according to press reports.

STILLWATER, Minn. -- In an effort to boost its profile in the competitive Twin Cities market, Cub Foods here is launching a new image ad campaign with the tag line, "Cub. The Store Next Door."

STILLWATER, Minn. -- In an effort to boost its profile in the competitive Twin Cities market, Cub Foods here is launching a new image ad campaign with the tag line, "Cub. The Store Next Door."