Aldi is increasing its investment in the UK and announcing £900 million for 2027, earmarked for opening new supermarkets and expanding its distribution network. The plan follows the results for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, in which sales grew 5%, reaching a record £19 billion.
The chain currently has 1.092 stores nationwide and plans to open another 40 over the next year. Thirty new openings are already planned over the next ten weeks, including in Dumbarton, Newport, and Willesden, London. The stated goal remains to reach 1.500 stores, focusing on areas where the lack of brand presence limits consumer choice.
The expansion is part of Aldi's strategy to address the pressure of food prices on household budgets. Since the beginning of 2026, the company announced it has invested £340 million in price reductions on over a thousand products, including orange juice, butter, fresh meat, and frozen fish. The chain says it will continue these reductions in the run-up to Christmas.
Alongside pricing and new stores, Aldi aims to strengthen its relationships with the national supply chain. By 2027, it aims to purchase at least half of its products through long-term agreements with suppliers: multi-year contracts that, the group hopes, should give producers and processors greater certainty for investing in production capacity.
In 2025, Aldi spent £14 billion on British suppliers. Approximately 80% of its sales come from these operators, while all of its regular fresh beef, pork, and poultry is sourced from UK farms. The company also links this decision to the need to reduce its dependence on imports.
Revenue growth did not translate into an increase in operating profits, which remained essentially stable at £432,9 million, compared to £435,5 million in 2024. Operating margin fell from 2,4% to 2,3%, in a year marked, according to Aldi, by investments in pricing, infrastructure, and wages. The latest industry estimates give the chain a 10,6% share of the UK food retail market.
"The cost of food remains one of the biggest pressures on families," said Giles Hurley, managing director of Aldi UK and Ireland, highlighting the fragility of the food supply chain following recent droughts and international events. Aldi has also raised store worker pay twice this year: the minimum hourly wage is now £13,50 nationwide and £14,88 in the Greater London area within the M25.
