Supermarket chain Aldi saw its profits almost triple last year in the United Kingdom, where increased lifespans have driven consumers to discounters.
The German group Aldi Sud – not Aldi Nord as in Belgium – recorded 179 million pounds (206 million euros) in operating profit in the United Kingdom last year. A year earlier that was £60 million, but the corona pandemic still played a role. Turnover increased by almost 2 billion pounds to 15.5 billion pounds (17.8 billion euros).
Aldi had already become the fourth largest supermarket in the United Kingdom a year ago, overtaking Morrisons. Since then, the market share has continued to grow. The company, which opened its first UK store in 1990, managed to attract customers from competitors with a more “premium” image.
Lidl, the other major German discount chain, did less well. That company reported a British loss of 76 million pounds (71.5 million euros) in the financial year to February. However, it attracted more customers and turnover increased by almost 19 percent.
Aldi opened its thousandth store in the United Kingdom this month and plans to open eighteen more by the end of the year. The chain is investing 1.4 billion pounds (1.32 billion euros) over the next two years.
End of an era: Aldi scraps the well-known Pirato brand
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