Aldi has said it would spend north of £400 million to open new supermarkets across the UK this year alone.
In the coming weeks, it will add five more.
The discount retailer, continuing its development drive through all areas of the nation, said it will cut the ribbon at a handful of new stores during the next few weeks.
In its quest to hit the 1,000 mark – Aldi now has 990 supermarkets here – Southampton, Whittlesey, Donington, Norwich and Porthcawl will be added to its ever-growing roster this month.
“Demand for Aldi has never been higher, and more than two thirds of British households already shop with us,” said George Brown, Real Estate Director for the chain in Britain, and these days, a very busy man. “To meet that demand, we are investing in new stores up and down the country and won’t stop until we’ve made quality, affordable food accessible to everyone.”
Still, there’s work to be done. Some shoppers still remain loyal to the Tescos, Sainsbury’s, ASDAs and Waitrose, as well as rival Lidl, which also has made massive inroads in seizing market share. Some simply don’t have access. Aldi, which has risen into the Top 4 (Kantar Worldpanel), is ready to deliver more stores to serve them and take on all competitors.
It can bank on a key data point as it tries to woo new customers: it remains the least expensive shop of all supermarkets, according to regular Which? surveys over the past year.
“There are still too many people for whom shopping at Aldi isn’t a convenient option and we’re committed to changing that, giving even more people access to our award-winning products at unbeatable prices,” Brown says.
Aldi says the openings will create about 40 new positions at each location. Store assistants can earn as much as 11 nationally, and £12.45 inside the M25, with paid breaks included – rising to £11.40 and £12.85 respectively from July.
