Discount supermarket chain Aldi has announced plans to have 1,000 stores in operation in the UK by 2021.
Aldi will accelerate its rate of growth every year to doubling its number of UK stores over the next seven years.
The retailer’s joint managing director Matthew Barnes spoke of the plans to have 1,000 stores open by 2021.
Aldi will increase its yearly UK store openings by 15 to 65 from 2015.
He believes that 65 new stores a year is not out of the question for the foreseeable future.
The discount retailer believes that having 1,000 stores by 2021 is “an absolute possibility”.
Alongside the new planned openings, Aldi will enhance existing stores in an attempt to coax more shoppers away from the big supermarket players.
Current projects include premises extensions and improved car park spaces.
In May, Aldi announced it would hire an additional 5,000 store staff and over 500 store management personnel in the UK this year.
The retailer said it needed the new recruits for new stores, but also for existing stores that need extra workers to cope with its increasing popularity with UK shoppers.
© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine
