Aldi is on a mission to ensure high-quality, low-priced foods are available to everyone in the UK. The supermarket has announced its plans to open 60 new stores in London as part of a multi-million-pound expansion plan.
Aldi – which was recently named the UK’s cheapest supermarket for the second year running by Which? – has announced its aim to double the number of stores within the M25. As a result, around 2,400 jobs will be created for Londoners.
Currently, Aldi has more than 990 stores and employs around 40,000 people, with the 1000th store set to open later this year.
Aldi is yet to have found the new store locations and is looking for property agents to help identify potential sites for stores.
It is offering a “finder’s fee of either 1.5 percent of a freehold price or 10 percent of the first year’s rent for leasehold sites for recommending a previously unknown site”.
Locations need to be big enough for the standard 20,000 sq ft stores, and space for around 100 dedicated parking spaces.
Ideally, Aldi would like the sites to be “on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access”.
Alongside the large sites, Aldi is also looking for smaller sites for its Aldi Local stores which are around 5,000 sq ft in size.
The supermarket is looking at office blocks, new housing areas, freehold town centres or edge-of-city sites that could be suitable for property development to turn the sites into stores.
The regional managing director at Aldi, Ben Shotter said: “We strongly believe that access to affordable, high-quality food is a right, not a privilege.
“But we’re conscious that there are still many areas, particularly in the capital and within the M25, that don’t have access to an Aldi.
“As a result, too many people have to make do with big prices at the big supermarkets.
“We want to give more people a new Aldi store with our award-winning products at unbeatable prices. We are looking for locations across the UK, but particularly in London,” he added.
Alongside plans for the 60 new stores in London, Aldi is aiming to create more than 6,000 new jobs this year as part of its 2023 plans.
Further stores are set to open in towns and cities across the UK, including Norwich and Newcastle.
Giles Hurley, the chief executive officer of Aldi UK, said: “Demand for Aldi has never been higher as more and more people realise they can make significant savings on every shop without compromising on quality.
“It’s more important than ever that we are making it even easier for more people to shop with us – including by opening dozens of new stores.”
While Aldi is opening stores, Iceland is planning on closing six stores across the UK.
Two are being shut down tomorrow, Saturday, February 25. These are the stores in Mill Lane, Bromsgrove and Chineham Shopping Centre in Basingstoke.
Next month, stores in White Rose Centre, Rhyl, South Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, St Catherine’s Place, Bedminster, Bristol and Deiniol Centre, Bangor will be closing.
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