“Whenever we introduce new initiatives, we go through a robust process of making sure we test it first to make sure our customers enjoy the experience, and we make sure it doesn’t have any unforeseen consequence on our operational efficiency,” said Padovani-Ginies.
“I would hope to have this service available to as many households in Australia as possible well before Christmas, so that if they are looking for their convenience Christmas shop, they’ve got the option to shop with DoorDash.”
Aldi Australia group buying director Simon Padovani-Ginies says he hopes to have this service available to many more Australians by Christmas.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Grocery prices on the delivery app will have a slightly higher mark-up than in store. The usual DoorDash fees – service, delivery, small order or longer-distance – will apply.
Following a period of high inflation and cost of living pressures that put supermarkets under intense scrutiny last year, Woolworths and Coles have been eager to announce they have lowered the price on hundreds of everyday goods, putting pressure on Aldi to prove its promise of being 20 per cent cheaper than the major chains.
“Customers love convenience, but at the same time, they want affordability. So by having Aldi join DoorDash and offer [groceries] online, it brings greater affordability to that online channel,” said Padovani-Ginies.
Aldi’s United States business partnered with DoorDash in 2023, something that Aldi Australia has been watching closely. Discussions with delivery platforms began 12 months ago as part of broader efforts to bolster Aldi’s online presence, including a website revamp in April that displays the prices of every item in its range to help customers compare prices.
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While Uber remains the leader among delivery platforms, DoorDash has demonstrated concerted efforts to capture its share of the grocery delivery market through its Costco partnership as well as its failed experiment, DashMart, which only lasted four months.
“They’re focused on efficiency, and they’re focused on being a good value option for customers. So the alignment between our two business value systems is very, very strong,” Padovani-Ginies said.
Aldi is not considering click and collect, a key contributor to Woolworths’ and Coles’ online sales. While the major chains have their own partnerships with Uber Eats and DoorDash, they have also built their own delivery capabilities, something Aldi has indicated it wouldn’t do due to the high costs it would add to the business.
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