Aldi, the German discount food retail chain, is planning to invest around £50 mln (EUR 57 mln) in new stores across North and Mid Wales over the next five years. Local press has reported the company plans to open two stores next year and is also looking at sites for new stores in several towns. The company said the move was in response to a 30% increase in footfall in its stores in North Wales since the onset of the credit crunch.
Aldi, the German discount food retail chain, is planning to invest around £50 mln (EUR 57 mln) in new stores across North and Mid Wales over the next five years. Local press has reported the company plans to open two stores next year and is also looking at sites for new stores in several towns. The company said the move was in response to a 30% increase in footfall in its stores in North Wales since the onset of the credit crunch.
Aldi Regional Managing Director Dan Ronald said: 'We are investing quite heavily in North Wales at the moment. We opened a new store in Flint a couple of weeks ago and we moved a store from the centre of Colwyn Bay to Old Colwyn doubling its trade and giving a lift to surrounding businesses. We will be opening in Llangefni in March or April and we have planning permission for a store in Denbigh, due to open in 2010.'
In November, Aldi announced plans to invest EUR 350 mln to open 35 new stores in Ireland over the next three years. Aldi entered Ireland in 1999 and now has 59 outlets in the country, giving it a 4.5% share of the local grocery market. The retailer claims to have experienced a 20% increase in sales over the last year as the Irish economy has headed into recession. Aldi said its expansion programme will create 650 jobs.
