Aldi reveals plans to open 16 new shops throughout the UK – see full record

The German supermarket chain is opening 16 new stores in the coming months – part of its long-term aim to expand to 1,500 sites across the UK

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Supermarket chain Aldi has revealed plans to open 16 new stores across the UK in the coming months. The Germany-based retailer has more than 1,080 UK stores and is pushing ahead with continued expansion plans to grow its shop estate across the country.

On Tuesday (June 16), the group revealed the locations of 16 new supermarket stores. New sites will include shops in Watford and Hoxton in London, Hattersley in Greater Manchester, and Balsall Common in the West Midlands

The plans are part of long-term ambitions by Aldi to expand to 1,500 sites across the UK. In January, Aldi said it hoped to open around 40 new stores in 2026 in line with the long-term growth strategy.

The latest round of new stores follows the opening of its latest store in Salford Quays last month, with the group investing £370 million in new stores this year. Jonathan Neale, managing director of national real estate at Aldi UK, said: “At Aldi, we’re committed to making high-quality, affordable food accessible to everyone, which is why we continue to invest in expanding our store network across the UK.

“Our £370 million investment in new stores this year will help us bring Aldi’s unbeatable value to even more communities, supporting local economies through our industry-leading pay for colleagues.”

Aldi will open new stores in the following locations:

-Hattersley, Greater Manchester

-Newport, Isle of Wight

-Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

-Newport, South Wales

-Orpington, London

-Hoxton, London

-Ashford, Kent

-Watford, London

-Rayleigh, Essex

-Balsall Common, West Midlands

-Marble Arch, London

-Malton, North Yorkshire

-Port Talbot, Wales

-Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

-Wigan, Greater Manchester

-Sudbury, Suffolk

The history of Aldi in the UK

Aldi opened its first UK store in Stechford, Birmingham in 1990, bringing a no-frills German discount model that initially faced scepticism from shoppers and rivals. More than three decades on, it has grown into the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket chain by market share.

In its early years through the 1990s, Aldi’s approach was deliberately stripped-back, with a limited range of around 600 core lines and simple black-and-white leaflet advertising. The retailer also operated without barcodes for its first 11 years in the UK, meaning checkout staff had to memorise prices to keep queues moving quickly.

The chain expanded steadily beyond the Midlands, opening its first Scottish store in Kilmarnock in 1994 and arriving in London with a Feltham branch in 1995. During the 2000s, Aldi began tailoring its offer more closely to British shoppers, including the launch of its now-signature “Specialbuys” middle aisle – a rotating selection that grew from seasonal basics into weekly home, DIY and gadget lines.

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