Aldi is set to open ten new supermarkets by the end of 2025 while raising its minimum hourly wage to £13, reinforcing its rapid expansion and commitment to staff pay. The move forms part of a £650 million investment programme designed to strengthen the retailer’s footprint and modernise its existing network.
The announcement reflects Aldi’s ambition to reach millions of new customers while remaining competitive with other UK supermarkets. According to Retail Gazette, the discount retailer also plans to refurbish 35 stores across the country this year, reflecting a dual focus on expansion and upgrading its current sites.
New Store Openings and Investment Plan
Aldi’s plan to launch a new supermarket every week for the rest of the year represents one of the largest expansions in the UK grocery sector. Jonathan Neale, Aldi UK’s managing director of national real estate, stated that the company’s goal is to ensure “people across the UK have access to affordable, high-quality food”.
The full list of areas where Aldi will open new stores includes:
- Fulham Broadway
- Shoreditch
- Eastbourne in East Sussex
- Waterbrook in Kent
- Langlay Moor Meadowfield in Durham
- Deeside and Treharris in Wales
- Market Harborough in Leicestershire
- Tyne and Wear
- Pendle Drive, Sefton Liverpool
- Chesterfield
This expansion is part of a £650 million investment, which also covers store refurbishments aimed at enhancing the shopping experience.
Store Refurbishments and Staff Pay Increase
Alongside new openings, Aldi will refresh 35 stores across the UK. According to Retail Gazette, the stores scheduled for refurbishment include:
- Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
- Herne Bay, Kent
- Aigburth, Liverpool
- Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent
- Southampton, Hampshire
- St Marys Gate, Sheffield
- Weymouth, Dorset
- Ancoats, Manchester
- Ayr, Scotland
- Northampton, East Midlands
- Nuneaton, Warwickshire
- Lye, Dudley
- Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
- Inverness, Scotland
- Norwich, Norfolk
- Horwich, Greater Manchester
- Glastonbury, Somerset
- Darlington, County Durham
- Sandbach, Cheshire
- Bingley, West Yorkshire
- Cowdenbeath, Scotland
- Salisbury, Wiltshire
- Murdishaw, Cheshire
- Romiley, Greater Manchester
- Clevedon, North Somerset
- Hexham, Northumberland
- Louth, Lincolnshire
- Cupar, Scotland
- Burton On Trent, Staffordshire
- Chelmsford, Essex
In addition, Aldi will raise its minimum hourly wage for store assistants to £13 nationwide and £14.33 within the M25 from September. According to Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, the increase “reflects the hard work and incredible contribution” of its staff.
This development positions Aldi ahead of other major supermarkets, with Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Lidl all announcing smaller increases to their base pay rates earlier this year.
