Inside the new smaller Aldi Local as it opens up first branch in London

FORGET Tesco Express or Sainsbury’s Local – Aldi is testing its own mini supermarket in London.

The smaller Aldi Local opened on Balham high street last week and the supermarket is now considering whether to rebrand its four other London branches.

An Aldi spokesperson said the new branch is not a move into the convenience market, but a way for “shoppers to distinguish between its smaller city stores in London and the conventional sized Aldis.”

Despite being double the size of a normal supermarket convenience store, it’s quite similar to other mini-supermarket sites.

The 600 square meter Balham branch sells 300 fewer products than a conventional sized Aldi, which usually measure 1,250 square meters on average.

The main difference, according to Aldi HQ, is that the smaller shops don’t sell bulkier items that may be more difficult to transport.

It has chilled food to go and food for tonight bays towards the front of the store, which is perfect for lunch time shoppers.

There’s also a fresh bakery section and a well stocked beers, wines and spirits aisle.

But fans of Aldi’s Specialbuys may be disappointed as the bargain aisle doesn’t feature in the smaller branches.

Smaller convenience shops usually have higher prices than bigger supermarkets and Aldi is no different.

A spokesperson Aldi said: “The prices on certain lines in Balham are 5 per cent higher than in Aldi’s existing city stores and conventional sized Aldis.

“However, the prices are still notably cheaper than nearby supermarkets in Balham.”

The number and mix of products will be similar to Aldi’s other smaller London stores in Tooting, Archway, Kingston and Kilburn.

The supermarket is waiting to see how successful its new branch is before deciding on whether to open more Aldi Locals in London or around the UK.