// Aldi to spent £22m in London expansion scheme this year
// This includes 9 new store openings, as part of a goal to open 100 Aldi stores within the M25 by 2025
// The £22m investment also includes a recruitment drive for up to 300 jobs across all London stores
Aldi has announced plans to invest more than £22 million in new and upgraded stores across London and within the M25 this year.
The German discount grocer confirmed that it expected to open nine new stores in the London area before the end of the year, including Dalston, South Harrow, and Haringey, and is extending its store in Feltham.
Aldi is also set to open its 48th London store in Little Venice this week following the opening of Walton on Thames in January, and is on track to achieving its goal of 100 stores inside the M25 by 2025.
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The retailer said there would be a recruitment drive as part of the London investment, with up to 300 new jobs up for grabs across all Aldi stores within the city.
The London investment forms part of Aldi’s pledge to invest £1.3 billion across the UK over the next two years.
Store assistants at Aldi earn an industry-leading minimum hourly rate of £11.07 an hour inside the M25. This increases to £11.32 after two years.
Additional store roles available in the recruitment drive include managerial positions, store apprentices and career starter jobs.
“Whilst we continue to expand throughout the UK, growing our market share in London is a key focus for us,” Aldi UK regional managing director Ben Shotter said.
“Over the next four years we want to change the fact that some people in London don’t always have easy access to Aldi’s high-quality groceries at the lowest prices.
“With shoppers increasingly looking to make sure they get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality, our stores are becoming ever more popular.
“This investment in London stores will help make the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket more accessible to even more people.”
Last year Aldi rolled out its click-and-collect trial to more than 200 stores across the UK, including eight in London.
Customers are able to order from a full range of groceries online then collect them, in pre-booked one-hour collection slots, from the supermarket’s participating stores.
The supermarket is also trialling a rapid delivery service in partnership with Deliveroo.
Customers living near selected stores can order from a range of around 400 Aldi products and have them delivered to their doorstep in as little as 20 minutes.
with PA Wires
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