Aldi plans to accelerate its UK expansion in 2025 by opening one new store weekly and investing £650 million in new and refurbished stores, while creating 1,600 jobs and raising entry-level pay above £13 an hour.
Aldi, the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket chain, is set to accelerate its expansion across Britain in 2025, announcing plans to open an average of one new store every week throughout the year. This ambitious growth is part of a broader £650 million investment programme that includes both new store developments and refurbishments of existing locations. By the end of 2025, Aldi expects to have modernised at least 35 stores, reinforcing its commitment to providing affordable groceries amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures impacting British households.
The expansion will see Aldi extend its footprint not only in major urban centres, such as London’s Fulham Broadway and Shoreditch, but also in smaller towns including Deeside in Wales, Billericay in Essex, and Cheadle in Stoke-on-Trent. The retailer’s strategy aims to make high-quality, affordable groceries more accessible to millions of families across the UK, aligning with its long-term ambition to grow to 1,500 stores nationwide. This drive follows a successful 2024, when Aldi opened several new outlets across the country, including locations in Totton, Hampshire, and Cribbs Causeway, Bristol.
This surge in physical presence accompanies significant employment opportunities. Aldi plans to create around 1,600 new roles in 2025 with a variety of positions available from store managers to assistants and cleaners. Each new store is reported to generate approximately 40 jobs, with Aldi committing to offering what it describes as “market-leading levels of pay.” Notably, from September 2025, store assistants will earn a minimum of £13.00 an hour nationally, rising to £14.33 an hour within the M25 corridor, positioning Aldi as the highest-paying supermarket for entry-level roles in the UK.
The surge in Aldi’s investment and store openings follows a period of record sales growth. In the 12 months up to December 2023, Aldi’s UK sales increased by £2.4 billion to reach £17.9 billion, a 16% rise, underscoring the retailer’s robust market performance even as inflationary pressures persist across the grocery sector. Aldi continues to insist that despite competitive claims in the market, there is no true “price war” occurring; Giles Hurley, Aldi UK’s CEO, described such characterisations as a “phoney price war,” citing limited actual discounting despite inflationary challenges.
Overall, Aldi’s substantial financial commitment and rapid expansion plans signal a sharp intent to strengthen its market presence while supporting local economies through job creation and investment in store improvements. The retailer’s strategy appears geared towards helping British consumers navigate economic strains by increasing access to affordable grocery options across both metropolitan and regional areas.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2092335/aldi-open-new-stores-every-week-2025 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.aldipresscentre.co.uk/business-news/aldi-announces-650-million-investment-as-part-of-2025-expansion-plans/ – Aldi UK has announced a £650 million investment for 2025, aiming to open approximately 30 new stores across Britain, including locations in Fulham Broadway, London, Billericay, Essex, and Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent. This expansion is part of Aldi’s strategy to accelerate its presence in towns and cities nationwide, following a successful 2024 with new store openings in Totton, Hampshire, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, and Pwllheli, Gwynedd. The investment aligns with Aldi’s long-term goal of reaching 1,500 stores in the UK, enhancing access to affordable groceries for more customers. ([aldipresscentre.co.uk](https://www.aldipresscentre.co.uk/business-news/aldi-announces-650-million-investment-as-part-of-2025-expansion-plans/?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/09/aldi-800m-expansion/ – Aldi has unveiled its largest-ever annual investment of £800 million to accelerate its UK expansion, following record sales and profits. In the 12 months leading up to December 2023, Aldi’s sales increased by £2.4 billion to £17.9 billion, marking a 16% surge. The retailer plans to open 23 new locations before the end of the year, including Muswell Hill, London, and Mere Green, Birmingham, as part of its strategy to provide high-quality, affordable groceries to more British families. ([retailgazette.co.uk](https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/09/aldi-800m-expansion/?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.retail-week.com/grocery/aldi-to-create-1600-new-jobs-as-store-expansion-push-gathers-pace/7048055.article – Aldi is set to create an additional 1,600 store roles in 2025 as part of its ongoing £650 million investment in its UK store network. The retailer is hiring for various positions, including store managers, assistant store managers, deputy store managers, store assistants, and cleaners. Planned new store openings include locations in Cambridgeshire, Moston in Greater Manchester, and Lytham in Lancashire. This expansion aims to provide more customers with access to Aldi’s high-quality, affordable products. ([retail-week.com](https://www.retail-week.com/grocery/aldi-to-create-1600-new-jobs-as-store-expansion-push-gathers-pace/7048055.article?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/there-is-no-uk-supermarket-price-war-says-aldi-boss-2025-05-29/ – Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley has dismissed suggestions of a supermarket price war in Britain, calling it a ‘phoney price war’ due to inflation and limited actual price slashing across the industry. Despite reports that major grocers like Asda are cutting prices and accepting profit hits to regain market share, Hurley argues that there has been more rhetoric than action. He highlighted that grocery inflation reached 4.1% in May, the highest in 15 months, indicating limited overall discounting. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/there-is-no-uk-supermarket-price-war-says-aldi-boss-2025-05-29/?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.retail-week.com/grocery/aldi-to-create-1600-new-jobs-as-store-expansion-push-gathers-pace/7048055.article – Aldi is set to create an additional 1,600 store roles in 2025 as part of its ongoing £650 million investment in its UK store network. The retailer is hiring for various positions, including store managers, assistant store managers, deputy store managers, store assistants, and cleaners. Planned new store openings include locations in Cambridgeshire, Moston in Greater Manchester, and Lytham in Lancashire. This expansion aims to provide more customers with access to Aldi’s high-quality, affordable products. ([retail-week.com](https://www.retail-week.com/grocery/aldi-to-create-1600-new-jobs-as-store-expansion-push-gathers-pace/7048055.article?utm_source=openai))
- https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/12/aldi-to-invest-650m-in-uk/ – Aldi has unveiled plans to invest around £650 million across its UK store network in 2025. The German discounter said this includes the development of new stores in Fulham Broadway in London, Billericay in Essex, and Cheadle in Stoke-on-Trent, with the retailer targeting around 30 new store openings in total in 2025. This forms part of Aldi’s package of annual investment to accelerate its expansion across the UK’s towns and cities. ([retailgazette.co.uk](https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2024/12/aldi-to-invest-650m-in-uk/?utm_source=openai))
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative presents Aldi’s expansion plans for 2025, including opening an average of one new store every week and a £650 million investment programme. Similar expansion plans have been reported for Aldi in other regions, such as the U.S., where the company announced plans to open over 225 new stores in 2025 as part of a $9 billion investment. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aldi-announces-plans-to-open-a-record-breaking-225-new-stores-in-2025-302371534.html?utm_source=openai)) However, the specific details regarding the £650 million investment and the focus on the UK market are unique to this report. The earliest known publication date of similar content is February 7, 2025, when Aldi announced its U.S. expansion plans. The report appears to be original, with no evidence of recycled content. The inclusion of updated data, such as the £650 million investment and specific UK locations, justifies a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. The narrative is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The report includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The report includes direct quotes from Giles Hurley, Aldi UK’s CEO, describing competitive claims in the market as a “phoney price war.” A search for the earliest known usage of this quote reveals no matches, indicating it may be original or exclusive content. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, and no variations in wording were found.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Express, a UK-based tabloid newspaper. While it is a well-known publication, its reputation for accuracy and reliability is often questioned. The report includes direct quotes from Giles Hurley, Aldi UK’s CEO, which adds credibility. However, the Express is not considered a highly reputable source, which affects the overall reliability score.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative presents plausible claims regarding Aldi’s expansion plans, including opening new stores and creating employment opportunities. These claims are consistent with Aldi’s previous expansion strategies in other regions, such as the U.S., where the company announced plans to open over 225 new stores in 2025. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aldi-announces-plans-to-open-a-record-breaking-225-new-stores-in-2025-302371534.html?utm_source=openai)) The report lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The language and tone are consistent with corporate communications, and the structure is focused on the main claim without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is formal and appropriate for the topic, with no unusual drama or vagueness.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents plausible claims about Aldi’s expansion plans, including opening new stores and creating employment opportunities. While the content appears original and includes direct quotes from Aldi UK’s CEO, the source’s reliability is questionable due to the Express’s reputation. The lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets and the absence of corroboration from other sources raise concerns. Therefore, the overall assessment is ‘OPEN’ with a medium confidence level.
