It’s almost hard to believe Aldi has been in the UK for 30 years, but the discount retailer is in fact celebrating its third decade here … and doing it in style.
Aldi says it is ready to invest £1.3 billion over the next two years (2020-2021) with new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and innovations across its business.
The result will mean 4,000 new jobs, which it said was “recognition for three decades of trust and loyalty shown by its growing base of loyal customers.”
Those customers have helped boost annual sales 8.3% to £12.3 billion, bucking the stagnation that has hit the grocery market, which has grown by just 1% overall. According to Aldi, the total number of shoppers is now at 18 million.
“With the UK’s economic outlook increasingly uncertain, families are more concerned about their grocery bills than ever,” said Aldi CEO Giles Hurley. “We’ve seen before that our customers need us most in times of financial hardship, which is why our commitment to remain Britain’s lowest-priced supermarket is more important than ever.”
Under its investment plan, Aldi will open around 100 new stores across the UK over 2020 and 2021, in line with its long-term target of 1,200 stores by 2025. Other investments include new and expanded distribution centres and the rollout of recent innovations and developments, including its new ‘click and collect’ service, which was successfully piloted and launched to customers last week.
Aldi said its most important commitment is continuing to keep its prices the lowest in the market as household budgets come under greater pressure.
Commenting on the supermarket’s response to the coronavirus outbreak earlier in the year, he added: “The response to the challenge presented by the Covid-19 pandemic was both heroic and historic.
“As ever, our 36,000 colleagues and thousands of suppliers rose to the challenge of feeding the nation with tremendous skill and courage, whilst the British public displayed remarkable patience and compassion. If there is a positive to take from the situation, it’s that supermarkets, suppliers and shoppers can overcome the greatest of challenges when we work together.”
