As part of plans to accelerate its share of the UK grocery market, Aldi has committed to investing £1.3 billion over the next two years.
This will include creating more than 2,000 new jobs in 2022 and the opening of 100 new stores across the UK over the next two years. The supermarket will also expand its logistics infrastructure by launching a new 1.3 million square foot site in Leicestershire.
In addition, Aldi is investing in its click and collect service and new technology to speed up growth. This will include the trial of a new checkout-free concept store in Greenwich, which will use a system of cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence to identify the items customers take from shelves and remove the need for them to pay at a till.
In its annual trading update, Aldi said sales in the UK and Ireland grew by 10.2% to a record £13.5 billion in the year to 31 December 2020. However, pre-tax profit edged down 2.5% to £264.8 million following the supermarket’s continued investment in price and the cost of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
