The German discounters Aldi and Lidl are continuing to expand their business in Great Britain. Aldi announced on Monday that it would invest a total of 550 million pounds (644 million euros) this year in building new stores and modernizing existing ones. This is expected to create 1,500 jobs. The company did not disclose the number of new stores.
Aldi currently operates more than 1,000 stores in Great Britain and is one of the four largest retailers in the country with a 9.3 percent market share. Most recently, Aldi UK reported the best pre-Christmas business in its history, with an increase of 8 percent compared to the previous year.
Competitor Lidl, meanwhile, opened its own bottling plant to supply its British stores. The factory in the city of Derby has a capacity of 380 million bottles per year and is operated by the beverage manufacturer MEG, which also belongs to the Schwarz Group. The aim is to simplify transport logistics in order to reduce costs and emissions, it said.
Lidl opened its largest distribution center in the world in Luton, north of London, in September 2023. According to data from the market research institute Kantar, the discounter is the sixth largest retailer in the country with more than 960 branches, with a market share of 7.5 percent. (dpa)