Aldi to open more Wigan stores with pledge to provide low prices

The budget retailer said its buying teams were working tirelessly to counter the impact of inflation and maintain its discount against traditional full-price supermarkets.

The supermarket, which already has over 970 stores including a number across Wigan borough, said it planned to open 16 more stores before the end of the year and will create an estimated 6,000 jobs across the country in the next year alone as it continues to expand.

The areas in Greater Manchester where it is currently looking for sites including Wigan and Didsbury.

In its annual trading update, Aldi said it had attracted record numbers of new shoppers in the past six months as pandemic restrictions were lifted and official data shows it has become Britain’s fourth largest supermarket.

The latest data from Kantar shows Aldi attracted 1.5 million extra customers to its stores over the past 12 weeks and sales grew at 18.7 per cent, overtaking Morrisons with a market share of 9.3 per cent.

The chain is searching for freehold town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for property development. The sites should be able to accommodate a 20,000ft sq store with around 100 parking spaces. Ideally the location will be near a main road with good visibility and access.

Aldi was considering opening a new supermarket on the former Arnold Clark site on Wigan Road, Bryn, which has been vacant since the dealership closed its doors in March 2020.

A planning application has been submitted to Wigan Council and it is thought the current Aldi store in Ashton would shut if this scheme gets the green light.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is worsening, and it’s being felt by millions of households across the UK. It’s in times like these when our customers rely on us the most, which is why we’re focusing on continuing to deliver our longstanding price promise by offering the lowest possible prices in Britain, every single day.

“Independent research shows our discount is as compelling as ever and that’s why more and more people are switching to Aldi.

"We will do whatever it takes to maintain our discount to the traditional full price supermarkets and keep grocery prices as low as possible for the millions of customers that shop with Aldi.”