Aldi for fashionistas

Aldi Stores Ltd is getting hipper by the month. This summer's range of menswear fashion wouldn't be new to Germany, but it is a first in the UK.As such, it has caught the imagination of the local media, including that bastion of the British middle-class, the Daily Mail.In addition to buying food staples at the German discount giant, male shoppers can now trendy themselves up with stunningly priced Chino shorts, Oxford shirts, linen trousers, T-shirts, casual padded sandals, summer hats, and zipped hoodies. The rock-bottom prices certainly make competitors such as Marks & Spencer or next look decidedly uncool.The range went in store on 19th July and was only available while stocks lasted. The tremendous success of this "Specialbuy" is shown by the way our mystery shoppers couldn't find one item in the English stores they visited at the beginning of last week.But they also confirmed how the Aldi system tolerates clothing to be merchandised as the day progresses. Any shorts were only in bargain bins, and the display of its popular "Back to School" uniform range looked pretty lacklustre.So is Aldi winning new customers with its special fashion offers only to turn them off and away once they get there?