Aldi unveils record expansion plan to meet UK’s ‘demand for discount’

The German discounter said it was “more determined than ever” to meet the UK’s growing demand for affordable groceries.

A total of 21 stores are set to launch in the next 13 weeks, including in London, Durham and Kirkintilloch, in Scotland.

Earlier this year, the supermarket confirmed 20 priority locations where it was actively seeking sites, including Bromley and Ealing in Greater London, South Shields in Tyne and Wear, and Witney in Oxfordshire.

The news comes after the retailer, which currently has 1,060 stores, previously announced plans to open a total of 1,500 sites across the UK.

Aldi saw its operating profit drop to £435.5m from £552.9m in its annual results for the 12 months to December 2024. Sales rose to £18.1bn from £17.9bn the year prior.

Aldi UK and Ireland CEO Giles Hurley said: “Shoppers are still finding things difficult and that’s why we’re staying laser focused on doing what Aldi does best, offering customers great quality products at unbeatable prices.

“Nobody else is making the same commitment to everyday low prices – no clubs, no gimmicks, no tricks – just prices our customers can trust and quality they can depend on.”

He added: “Since we opened our first UK store over 35 years ago, we’ve brought high-quality, affordable groceries to almost 800 towns and cities, but there are hundreds more communities that don’t have an Aldi nearby.

“We’re more determined than ever to meet that demand, and that’s why we’re investing a record £1.6bn over the next two years, to bring Aldi prices closer to millions more customers.”