China’s Grocery Giants Use Aldi Tactics to Lure Frugal Shoppers

The cheap croissants and no-name detergents that power discount grocers in the US and Europe are now filling shelves in China, where struggling chains are betting on store brands to lure back shoppers.

Once dominated by sprawling hypermarkets packed with name-brand goods, purveyors from Walmart Inc. and Wumart to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Freshippo are streamlining — cutting clutter and pushing their own lines, a category known as “private label,” that can match or beat the quality of established brands.