Aldi has just opened its 700th store in the UK, just weeks after it officially became the country’s fifth-largest grocer.
The German discount supermarket chain also confirmed have 1000 UK stores by 2022.
The 700th store opened in Whitstable, Kent, and is one of the 70 stores the supermarket retailer plans to open this year.
As part of its expansion, the company said it was investing £450 million towards improvements of and increased store capacities and distribution networks.
READ MORE: 8 out of 9 top grocers show growth as Aldi overtakes Co-op
Aldi‘s ninth UK distribution centre in Cardiff, Wales, takes up 460,000sq ft and will become fully operational by the end of the month.
“During the last five years we have invested £1.7 billion in new stores and distribution centres to bring Aldi to the 14 million customers that now regularly shop with us,” Aldi UK boss Matthew Barnes said.
“But there are many more potential customers who don‘t shop at Aldi because there isn‘t a store near where they live. We want to change this by having a store in every major town and city across Britian.”
Last month, grocery market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel showed that Aldi‘s sales grew by 12.4 per cent in the 12 weeks to January 29, boosting its market share to 6.2 per cent and ovetaking the Co-op to become the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket retailer.
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