Aldi has announced a record £900million expansion plan for next year, including opening another 40 stores. The German-owned chain will also add more distribution centres as it ramps up its roll-out across the UK.
The firm already has just under 1,100 stores and has previously set a target to have 1,500 over time. It is on course to open 30 stores over the next 10 weeks, including in Dumbarton, Newport and Willesden, London.
Record sales and profits
The plans were announced as Aldi revealed results for 2025, showing sales rose 5% to a record £19billion. Profits were down slightly, at just under £433m. Aldi claimed its expansion would help tackle “food affordability”, an issue experts warn could become an even bigger issue over the coming year.
Food inflation has eased to just over 1% amid competition from supermarkets, but the Food and Drink Federation has predicted it could jump to more than 6% in 2027 because of the ongoing fall-out from the US-Iran war.
Cost pressures and supplier investment
Oil prices remain punishingly high, impacting production costs, while this summer’s drought and the emerging El Nino weather pattern risk both the price and availability of certain products. A jump in diesel prices is the latest possible threat given the fuel’s importance for transporting goods.
Aldi said it has pumped £340m into reducing prices on more than 1,000 products, including orange juice, butter, fresh meat and frozen fish. It added that it had also spent £14bn with British suppliers in 2025. Around 80% of its sales come from British suppliers, while it says 100% of its everyday fresh beef, pork and poultry is sourced from British farms.
CEO on food security
Giles Hurley, chief executive for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “The cost of food remains one of the biggest pressures on households across the country. Recent droughts at home and events overseas have highlighted just how fragile our food system is and why food security must be a long-term national priority.
“We’re working hard to make good food more affordable for every family – cutting prices on everyday essentials, signing long-term supplier agreements to help increase home-grown production, and continuing to bring affordable groceries to even more communities through our store opening programme.
“This is why more customers are buying more products at Aldi – our relentless focus on simple, everyday low prices and award-winning quality.”
