Aldi eyes Kensington and Hackney for next London shop openings

The recruitment drive includes full-time and part-time positions at its regional distribution centres (PA) (PA Archive)

Germansupermarket Aldi says it hopes to open new shops in Kensington and Hackney, as it prepares to expand with 500 more shops across the UK.

The discount retailer opened its 1,000th UK shop earlier this month, and set a long-term goal of 1,500 shops across the UK.

Now, it has revealed the locations where it is currently looking for sites, including two in London. Aldi is looking for an existing building between 7,000sqft to 40,000sqft or land between half an acre and three acres for its potential London shops.

Richard Thornton, communications director at Aldi UK, said: “We want to make our great value groceries accessible to all, and to do that we need more stores, particularly in towns and areas that don’t have an Aldi already.

“The areas we’ve identified in our latest list are places where there is demand for stores and we are committed to continue investing until we can bring our quality products and unbeatable prices to as many people as possible.”

Other London sites Aldi said it would look at were Chiswick, South Ealing, Notting Hill, Chingford, Barnet, Highbury & Islington, Beckenham, Lewisham, Sidcup, Chessington and Twickenham.

There are currently 13 Aldis in London, including an existing Hackney shop at Kingsland shopping centre.

The new plans come as Aldi’s popularity has surged as shoppers look for cheaper food amid the cost-of-living crisis. The business reported record sales of £15.5 billion in 2022, and market research firm Kantar says Aldi’s market share has grown beyond 10%.

Outside of London, Aldi said it was also looking to open shops in Penzance, Bath, Maidenhead, Worthing, Warrington, Bramhall, Newcastle Upon Tyne,South Shields, Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham, Warwick, Cambridge, Brentwood, Harrogate, York, Cardiff, Chepstow, Clarkston and Cathcart

Earlier this year, rival Lidl put out a much longer list of sites where it hopes to open a new shop, including some of London’s most upscale postcodes like Mayfair and Knightsbridge.