Supermarket Aldi seems to be on a store-opening spree as it is set to open one new outlet a week on average between now and the end of the year.
Aldi opened its 1,000th UK store in Woking last month. The 12 new sites cover towns and cities across the UK, including Taunton, Oldham, Farnborough, West Bridgford, Portsmouth, Stockton, Swansea, Staines-upon-Thames, Reading, Coventry, Chadderton, and Cumbernauld.
The discounter recently confirmed its long-term target of having 1,500 stores in the UK. It plans to invest £1.4 billion in expanding its portfolio over the next two years alone.
George Brown, Real Estate Director at Aldi UK, said, “We’re welcoming more and more customers through our doors each week, which is why we’re investing in new stores up and down the country to bring our great value groceries to even more people and meet the growing demand for Aldi.
“Shoppers know they’ll always get more for their money when they shop with us, and we’re confident Aldi’s success will continue to grow.”
According to Aldi, each new store opening will generate approximately 40 new jobs on average for local communities. The hourly pay of store assistants starts at £11.40 and London-based employees will receive £12.85 per hour.
The news comes a few days after Aldi rolled out its latest round of price cuts to reflect easing cost pressures in the sector, with almost 50 products reduced by an average of 7 per cent.
The company also plans to reduce its plastic packaging by a quarter by 2025, and is already halfway to achieving that goal before it steps up its packaging overhaul according to Aldi's new Making Sustainability Affordable report.
