Three weeks after the war in Iran began, German grocery retailers are already feeling the effect in their sales. Rising energy costs and the threat of price increases are driving shoppers to discount chains, according to data from the market‑research firm Accurat, which Handelsblatt reported.
During calendar week 12 (starting 16 March), Aldi Nord and Aldi South significantly lifted their share of customer visits compared with the week immediately before the conflict broke out. Aldi Nord added 0.7 percentage points, while Aldi South increased its share by a full 1.0 percentage point. “Such a pronounced shift is unusual; we haven’t seen this before” said Maarten Vander Beken of Accurat.
Although the percentage changes seem small, a shift in shopping behaviour can create substantial financial impact. German food retailers move more than €200 billion per year, so a one‑percentage‑point gain in market share translates into roughly €2 billion more in sales.
The biggest losers, according to the data, are the large supermarket chains. In week 12, Edeka’s share of visitor numbers fell by 0.6 percentage points compared with the pre‑war week, Rewe’s share slipped by 0.7 percentage points, and Kaufland lost 0.5 percentage points.