Budget supermarket Aldi is set to open 24 new shops across the UK before Christmas, while three existing stores will be relocated.
Aldi has been the UK’s cheapest supermarket for seven months in a row, according to Which?’s monthly grocery report, which shows its estimated share of the UK grocery market at 10.6 per cent. This puts it fourth among British supermarket brands, just behind Asda and ahead of Lidl.
However, it is Lidl’s sales which have been growing at a far greater rate year on year, which may indicate some of the intent behind Aldi’s drive to open in new and under-served locations.
Last month, the supermarket announced a £900m investment in new stores and distribution centres, with a target of 1,500 shops across the UK, up from the current 1,092.
In addition to the new openings, the three stores which are set for closure and relocation are in Sudbury, Sutton Coldfield and Wigan.
Last month, the Food and Drink Federation signalled that grocery inflation was likely to rise further heading toward Christmas and hitting above 6 per cent by the middle of next year.
That, as well as general household costs rising including energy bills, has seen more shoppers try to find cheaper groceries.
Across September, grocery prices fell across a range of stores in the UK, shows data from Mair Strategies, with Aldi’s in particular falling 0.4 per cent.
“The cost of food remains one of the biggest pressures on households across the country. Recent droughts at home and events overseas have highlighted just how fragile our food system is and why food security must be a long-term national priority,” said Giles Hurley, CEO for Aldi UK and Ireland.
“We’re working hard to make good food more affordable for every family - cutting prices on everyday essentials, signing long-term supplier agreements to help increase home-grown production, and continuing to bring affordable groceries to even more communities through our store opening programme.
“This is why more customers are buying more products at Aldi - our relentless focus on simple, everyday low prices and award-winning quality.”
Aldi’s annual results £19bn of sales to the end of December 2025, while they also flagged having raised the hourly pay for store assistants on two occasions across the year to what they claim are market-leading rates.
