Aldi is creating 2,000 jobs as it announces launch of 100 new UK stores

Aldi will create 2,000 new jobs roles next year and launch 100 new stores as part of a £1.3 billion investment drive.

The discount supermarket chain said the expansion, which will run over two years, comes after sales soared by 10.2% in the UK and Ireland last year.

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At a glance: 5 key points 

• The £1.3 billion investment drive will create 2,000 new jobs and 100 new stores.
• Aldi has already created 7,000 new jobs in the last two years created and has 920 stores in operation.
• The supermarket has announced plans for a new check-out free store in Greenwich, London, plus a new 1.3 million sq ft site in Leicestershire.
•  Aldi said its click and collect services have been rolled out to 200 stores, offering customers the chance to order online for the first time, but home deliveries are still not available.
• Aldi bosses reveal sales soared 10.2% in the UK and Ireland in 2020 to £12.3 billion, adding that its customer numbers increased from 17.6 million to 17.8 million, but pre-tax profits fell 12.5% to £264.8 million. 

What's been said 

Chief executive for Aldi UK and Ireland, Giles Hurley, said: “As well as delivering record sales, we continued to invest for growth, deploying over £600 million in stores and distribution centres across the UK.

“This helped to create thousands of much-needed jobs and support for British farmers and manufacturers.

“Whilst the cost of responding to the pandemic dampened profits, our decision to return business rate relief was the right thing to do.”

Background 

While other UK-based supermarkets provide more regular updates on their current trading, Aldi does not and is instead publishing last year's results. 

However, trading details were not immediately provided during the first nine months of 2021.

Aldi repaid the business rates saved from the government’s scrapping of the tax during the pandemic, following similar moves by Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda and Lidl.

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