Aldi plans to create 4,000 jobs in £1.3bn investment drive
Discount supermarket Aldi, headquartered in Warwickshire, has announced plans to create 4,000 jobs in 2021 as part of a £1.3bn two-year investment plan.
Over the next two years (2020-2021) the retailer’s investment will include new and upgraded stores, distribution centres and further innovations across its business such as the recently announced “click and collect” service.
The plans are expected to create a further 4,000 new jobs next year, adding to the 3,000 permanent roles already created in 2020.
In its annual trading update, Aldi said an influx of new shoppers had helped it increase sales in the UK and Ireland by 8.3% to a record £12.3bn in the year to December 31 2019 (2018: £11.3bn), despite the grocery market growing by just 1% overall.
Latest data shows Aldi’s UK sales have continued to rise by 10%, with its market share standing at 8%. The total number of customers now shopping with Aldi stands at more than 18 million.
The group, which reported a drop in profits in 2018, saw pre-tax profits rise by 49% to £271.5m.
Aldi said it expects to open around 100 new stores across the UK over 2020 and 2021 in line with its long-term target of 1,200 stores by 2025, alongside over 100 store upgrades.
Giles Hurley
Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “For over 30 years, our success has been driven by the ever-increasing number of shoppers who put their trust in Aldi every time they shop with us. This is what enables us to keep investing in Britain – in our products, our prices, our people and in the communities we serve.
“The founding principle of our UK business back in 1990 was to offer a carefully-selected range of great quality products at the lowest prices. Whilst we’re continuing to innovate to give customers an even better experience and greater convenience, our core philosophy remains unchanged.
“With the UK’s economic outlook increasingly uncertain, families are more concerned about their grocery bills than ever. We’ve seen before that our customers need us most in times of financial hardship, which is why our commitment to remain Britain’s lowest-priced supermarket is more important than ever.”
Commenting on the supermarket’s response to the Coronavirus outbreak earlier in the year, he added: “The response to the challenge presented by the Covid-19 pandemic was both heroic and historic.
“As ever, our 36,000 colleagues and thousands of suppliers rose to the challenge of feeding the nation with tremendous skill and courage, whilst the British public displayed remarkable patience and compassion. If there is a positive to take from the situation, it’s that supermarkets, suppliers and shoppers can overcome the greatest of challenges when we work together.”
Aldi, which sources its entire core range of fresh meat, eggs, milk, butter and cream from British suppliers, said it had spent an extra £1bn with UK companies last year taking its total to £8bn.
