Aldi Expands and Hires 1,200 Staff UK in Expansion Drive

German supermarket giant Aldi has said it will create 1,200 new jobs across the UK as it continues with its plans to open a raft of new stores.

THE discount supermarket chain said it plans to open an average of one new store each week between now and Christmas.

The retailer, which currently has more than 890 stores and around 35,000 UK staff, said it has already created 2,800 new permanent jobs this year after grocery sales surged in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. It said it now plans to create more than 1,200 extra roles as it expands its store estate.

Aldi said it will open new stores in Sandhurst, Bristol and Edinburgh this year as it continues towards its target of operating 1,200 stores by 2025. Aldi, which saw sales increase by 13 per cent over the 12 weeks to 12 July, has a target of operating 1,200 stores in the UK by 2025.

However, Aldi and Lidl have not enjoyed the same level of sales rises during the Covid-19 pandemic as rivals including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons, as they do not offer an online shopping service to customers.

In May, Aldi struck a deal with takeaway courier service Deliveroo to offer a grocery home delivery service. The previous month Aldi launched a £24.99 grocery parcel service direct from its warehouses comprised of 22 essential products – such as rice, pasta, toilet rolls and tea – designed to help elderly and vulnerable shoppers.