Aldi has announced plans to open 16 new supermarkets across the UK in the coming months, reinforcing its commitment to expanding affordable, high-quality food options nationwide. While exact opening dates remain undisclosed, the upcoming locations include Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Malton in North Yorkshire, Watford, Hoxton in London, Hattersley and Wigan in Greater Manchester, and Balsall Common in the West Midlands.
These new stores align with Aldi’s broader goal to operate 1,500 stores throughout the UK, increasing access to its award-winning products at competitive prices. This announcement follows the recent launch of a new Aldi store in Salford Quays and is part of the retailer’s ambitious £370 million investment in store expansion planned for 2026.
Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, emphasized the company’s mission: “At Aldi, we’re dedicated to making high-quality, affordable food accessible to everyone. Our £370 million investment in new stores will help bring unbeatable value to more communities and support local economies through our industry-leading pay for colleagues.”
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Earlier this year, Aldi also boosted pay rates for its store staff with a £42 million investment. Store assistants now earn a starting wage of £13.50 per hour nationally, increasing to £14.47 with length of service. Those working within the M25 area receive between £14.88 and £15.20 per hour depending on tenure.
In line with its sustainability agenda, Aldi plans to power more than 500 of its stores with solar energy by the end of this year. The company has already installed solar panels at 470 locations and expects to add panels to 62 more stores in 2026, with potential sites including Stratford-upon-Avon, Maghull, Northampton, and Wrexham.
This initiative is part of an £8.4 million investment dedicated to fitting solar panels at 100 stores across 2025 and 2026. Each installation is capable of supplying up to 30% of a store’s annual energy requirements, boosting energy resilience amid rising and volatile energy costs driven by global events.
Jonathan Neale added, “We’ve made significant progress over the past year and are now advancing the next phase of our solar rollout. The program has grown beyond initial expectations, enhancing our operational resilience and enabling us to deliver great value to customers sustainably.”