Aldi has taken an innovative step forward in the supermarket wars starting a special product testing club.

The Aldi’s ‘Testers Club’ has just launched in Australia, the first country in the Aldi global network to trial the initiative.

Only 100 customers have been allowed to join the club despite 17, 000 Australians applying for a spot. Membership lasts for a year and every quarter those involved will receive 10 products per quarter to review. ‘Testers’ as Aldi has named them, will then be asked to rate at least 50 per cent of the products they received.

“The Aldi Testers Club is a new product testing and rating program that is unique to the Australian market,” an Aldi spokesperson said.

“The Club was created to enable Aldi to receive valuable customer feedback, to inform product development across our grocery range,” said the spokesperson.

Aldi’s attempts to connect with customers through its club comes at the same time Woolworths has announced that it will be axing the ability to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Points through its Everyday Rewards loyalty program. Woolworths will now be offering direct store discounts instead.

The July 2015 IBISWorld report has estimated that by the end of December 2015 Aldi will have earned AUD $6.9 billion total revenue for the 2015 calendar year. Aldi has its stores on Australia’s east coast where it has been growing rapidly as new stores continue to be opened and very competitive prices and successful house branding have been successful as expansion strategies.However, Aldi is also currently in the final implementation stage to launch in Western Australia and South Australia in early 2016.

The idea of a ‘Testers Club’ has already been proven a promotional and marketing success for Aldi. Other retailers are watching and may soon follow.

The idea is another illustration of high interactive relationships being formed with customers and enhancement of activities to engage and develop a stronger base for another loyalty relationship with customers.  

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