ESSEN, GERMANY - German grocer Aldi has taken another step toward retail-world domination, planning to test out brick-and-mortar stores in China. The retailer has been eyeing the China market since 2017, when it began selling items online through Alibaba’s Tmall website. This would be its first foray into physical locations in the country.

“They are positioned as pilot stores, where retail approaches will be trialled and adjusted according to data and feedback from customers,” an Aldi spokesperson commented. “This new store format has been customised and tailored specifically for the China market to better understand and interact with Chinese consumers.”

The two pilot stores will open next week in Shanghai, in the Minhang and Jing’an districts, according to This is Money. Because European products are in high demand in China, Aldi plans to stock the grocery stores with many U.K. products as well as cow’s milk and ice cream from Australia and a pork knuckle with sauerkraut and roast potato as a tribute to its German heritage. Aldi eventually plans to open 100 stores in China in the coming years.

Is this the first step toward a global retail takeover? AndNowUKnow will report.

Aldi