Aldi wants to open more stores in Wigan

It has already unveiled proposals for a new outlet at Abbey Lakes in Orrell, as reported by Wigan Today in July, but that won’t be the end of the matter in the borough.

Now it has announced its largest ever package of annual investment to accelerate its expansion across Britain’s towns and cities.

In its annual trading update, Aldi said it plans to open 23 new locations before the end of the year – marking a record £800m investment programme during 2024.

The retailer, which currently has over 1,000 stores, has previously announced plans to scale to 1,500 stores across the UK and Aldi has confirmed Greater Manchester is among the areas it is focusing on.

It said that the areas in Greater Manchester where it is currently looking for sites include Chorlton and Wigan.

When asked if that just meant the Orrell development, a spokesman said: “At present, the Orrell Road site is the only active project, but Aldi is actively exploring additional sites within the Wigan borough.”

The supermarket is searching for freehold town-centre, edge-of-centre, and retail park sites suitable for 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 UK communications director Richard Thornton said:

“We are committed to bringing high quality, affordable groceries to millions more British families.

“With more than 1,000 stores across the country, our footprint is definitely growing, but we know there are still a number of towns that either don’t have an Aldi or have shown demand for more stores.”