Discount grocer Aldi is closing its online liquor store to focus on expanding its supermarket chain across Australia.

The website will close on March 24, less than three years after it was launched by the German retail giant.

“With our current expansion into South Australia and Western Australia this decision has been taken to enable Aldi to focus on creating the best possible in-store experience for customers,” Aldi said in a statement on Monday.

The move will not affect liquor sales in Aldi stores.

The retailer’s Australian store numbers have swollen since 2001 with over 400 in Queensland, the ACT, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

Aldi’s decision to pull out of the online liquor market comes just days after Woolworths reported booming liquor sales.

The Woolworths-owned Dan Murphy’s and BWS store chains, which both offer online sales, enjoyed a 4.9 per cent jump in sales to $4.4 billion in the six months to December 31 despite strong competition from rivals.

Woolies said its Dan Murphy’s business had reported strong double-digit growth in online sales.

AAP

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