Aldi plans to create 6,000 jobs this year after announcing record profits and increasing its market share.
The German supermarket has pledged to open 50 new stores in the UK in 2013 after sales soared 40 per cent to £3.9bn in 2012. The retailer said it would open its 500th store later this month after opening 34 new stores in 2012 and attracting 1 million more shoppers through its doors.
Aldi, which stocks a limited range of own-label groceries at low prices, has been grabbing market share from Britain’s biggest leading supermarkets, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda as shoppers look for a bargain during the economic downturn.
The chain still has a relatively tiny share of the UK grocery market at 3.7 per cent, according to the latest figures from the market analysts Kantar Worldpanel, however it is seeing growth of 32.7 per cent while bigger rivals struggle. According to research agency Nielsen, almost one in three households now visit Aldi at least once a month.
The company said it had experienced strong growth in sales of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, despite its links to the horsemeat scandal. Earlier this year, it was found that two of the retailers beef products from supplier Comigel contained up to 100 per cent horsemeat.
Aldi has been attempting to attract more middle-class shoppers by moving into more affluent areas, such as Hampshire and Cheshire, and expanding the range of products it sells from 800 to 1,350. It is also trying out more luxury items such as lobster tails and a three-bird roast for the festive season.
Roman Heini, joint managing director for Aldi said: “We believe growth is down to one thing – customers demanding true value. They know they can always get high quality at low prices at Aldi.
“We have always been seen as a top-up shopping destination and that has changed now. Most shoppers see us today as a weekly shopping destination.”
