Discounter Aldi has committed £1.6 billion to accelerate its store expansion plan over the next two years as it plans to open 21 new stores in the coming 13 weeks.
Aldi said that from 2026 to 2027, it would invest £1.6 billion to open 80 new stores, which it said would allow it to “meet the UK’s growing demand for affordable groceries”.
A total of 21 stores are set to open in the next 13 weeks, including Shoreditch in London, Durham in the North East and Kirkintilloch in Scotland. Earlier this year, it 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 retailer, which currently has 1,060 stores, has previously announced plans to scale to 1,500 stores across the UK. It said its expansion will “create thousands of jobs and more opportunities for British suppliers”.
Aldi confirmed its investment plans alongside financial results for the 12 months to December 2024, which showed sales increased to £18.1 billon, up from its 2023 sales of £17.9 billion. Data showed Aldi’s sales accelerated in 2025 with growth of 4.8%, taking its market share to 10.8%, and earlier this year it overtook Asda to become the UK’s third largest grocer by value of food and drink sales.
The company said operating profit fell to £435.5 million (2023: £552.9 million), representing a margin of 2.4%, as it continued to lower prices, invest in infrastructure and increase pay for colleagues.
Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK and Ireland, stated: “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.
“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 £1.6 billion over the next two years, to bring Aldi prices closer to millions more customers.”
Aldi said it spent £14 billion with UK suppliers in 2024 as it continued to champion British businesses. Earlier this year, the supermarket also reaffirmed its commitment to its existing British sourcing standards regardless of any international trade deals.
