Aldi’s growth is ‘accelerating’ after adding £1bn in sales
Supermarket group Aldi added £1bn in sales last year as it continued its extraordinary growth in the UK.
The group, which is headquartered in Atherstone and employs 3,000 people across the West Midlands, says its sales growth has “accelerated” in 2017.
However even Aldi has not been immune to the pressures of competition in the supermarket sector, with operating profits falling 17% to £211.3m, despite sales rising 13% to £8.74bn.
Aldi’s current UK market share is now 6.9%, according to data from analysts Kantar Worldpanel. It puts it fifth – behind the big four of Tesco, Sainsbury’s Asda and Morrisons – having overtaken Co-op in the last 12 months.
Matthew Barnes, chief executive officer – Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Our growth is accelerating, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of new customers switching their shop to Aldi.
“This is happening right across the UK and is all down to a simple, straightforward commitment – products comparable to the leading brands and supermarket premium ranges at the lowest prices in Britain.”
The business operates 726 UK stores and plans to open 23 in the final three months of this year and a further 70 in 2018. It wants to have 1,000 stores by 2022.
Last year, the business invested over £450m of capital expenditure in opening new stores and improving its distribution centres in the UK and Ireland.
Aldi said future capital expenditure plans remained entirely unaffected by the UK’s decision to leave the EU and that it expects to invest £459m during 2017.
