The towns Aldi is targeting for 500 new stores

Aldi is to open 500 new stores over the next two years. Photo: Alamy (Mark Waugh)

Aldi has revealed a list of all locations it hopes to open in the next two years, including in London Kensington and Hackney.

The German discounter plans to open an average of one new store a week, pledging to invest £1.4bn ($1.7bn) over the next two years.

The supermarket opened its 1000th store earlier this month and is focusing on expanding to a new long-term target of 1,500 stores in the UK, which will create 6,000 new jobs in total this year.

Plans to expand the number of stores come after a record high number of UK shoppers switched to Aldi amid cost of living crisis.

Aldi said it had attracted around a million extra customers in the past 12 months with a new generation of savvy shoppers turning their back on traditional, full priced supermarkets.

It is now on the lookout for sites, as it unveiled priority locations, including in Bath, Maidenhead, Newcastle Upon Tyne and Cambridge.

Read more: Aldi reveals biggest fruit and veg price cuts of the year

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.”

As it prepares to open 500 new stores, the supermarket giant is currently searching for freehold town-centre, edge-of-centre, and retail park sites suitable for property development.

It is looking for sites which will be able to accommodate a 20,000 sqft store with around 100 parking spaces, ideally near a main road.

Other priority locations include, Penzance, Worthing, Warrington, Bramhall, South Shields, Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham, Warwick, Brentwood, Harrogate, York, Cardiff, Chepstow, Clarkston and Cathcart.

Aldi is now the fastest-growing supermarket in the UK, with over 60% of households shopping there in the last year, investing billions of pounds into the UK economy.

Read more: 7 million UK households struggling to keep up with rent or mortgage payments

The business said operating profit last year increased to £178.7m, making it the second most popular UK supermarket among households for doing a full weekly shop.

Annual sales surged by almost £2bn to £15.bn in the past year- the highest record in its 33-year history.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Although inflation is easing, households are still under real pressure from higher living costs.

“As a result, Britain is shopping very differently to how it did 18 months ago – fewer trips, more own label products, and switching supermarkets in search of better value.”

Full list of target locations:

SCOTLAND

• Glasgow, Cathcart

• Glasgow, Springburn

• Clarkston

• Glasgow, Glasgow Fort

• Bonnyrigg

• Edinburgh, Barnton

• Blantyre

• Newhouse

• Dumbarton

• Falkirk, Ladysmill

NORTH EAST ENGLAND, NORTH YORKSHIRE & CUMBRIA

• Newcastle Upon Tyne

• Sunderland

• South Shields

• Harrogate

• York

• Scarborough

• Morpeth

• Kendal

NORTH EAST LINCOLNSHIRE & EAST, WEST & SOUTH YORKSHIRE

• Chesterfield, Alma Leisure Park

• Leeds, Horsforth

• Doncaster, Balby

• Otley

• Brighouse

• Cleethorpes

• Sheffield, Nether Green

• Ossett

• Halifax, Calderdale Royal

• Sheffield, Woodhouse

NORTH WEST ENGLAND

• West Didsbury

• Wigan

• Bradshaw, Bolton

• Lowton

• Cheadle, Manchester

• Bramhall

• Penwortham

• Worsley

• Radcliffe

• Darwen

CENTRAL & WEST MIDLANDS

• Bloxwich

• Walsall

• Birmingham

• Wellingborough

• Coventry

• Wolverhampton (North West)

• Wolverhampton (South West)

• Tipton

• Warwick

• Chelmsley Wood

NORTH/EAST MIDLANDS

• Leicester, Fosse Park

• Leicester Forest East

• Derby, Allestree

• Leicester, Birstall

• Nottingham, Beeston

• East Midlands McArthurGlen Designer Outlet

• Derby, Normanton

• Leicester, North Evington

• Eastwood, Nottingham Road

• Leicester, Oadby

MERSEYSIDE, CHESHIRE, SHROPSHIRE & NORTH WALES

• Aintree

• Kirkby

• Upton

• New Brighton

• Toxteth

• Dolgellau

• Caernarfon

• Warrington

• Queensferry

• Church Stretton

EAST ANGLIA, ESSEX & HERTFORDSHIRE

• Cambridge (South)

• St Albans

• Basildon

• Brentwood

• Basildon

• Rayleigh

• Southend / Leigh on Sea

• Harpenden

• Ware

• Hitchin

SOUTH CENTRAL & HOME COUNTIES

• Winchester

• Bath

• Bracknell

• Cheltenham

• Dorchester

• Oxford

• Slough

• Banbury

• Chesham

• Maidenhead

LONDON

• Chiswick

• South Ealing

• Rickmansworth

• Notting Hill

• Kensington

• Chingford

• Watford

• Barnet

• Hackney Central

• Highbury & Islington

• Beckenham

• Lewisham

• Sidcup

• Chessington

• Twickenham

SOUTH EAST

• Brighton

• Newhaven / Peacehaven

• Haywards Heath

• Chatham

• Polegate

• Worthing

• Crawley

• Guildford

• Reigate / Redhill

• Aldershot

SOUTH WALES & SOUTH WEST

• Bristol

• Penzance

• Barry

• Plymouth

• Swansea

• Exmouth

• Cardiff

• Exeter

• Hereford

• Ivybridge

IRELAND

• Athboy

• Athlone

• Ballyjamesduff

• Baltinglass

• Birr

• Bray

• Carndonagh

• Castleblayney

• Castlerea

• Clara

• Drogheda

• Dublin City & County

• Dunfanaghy

• Granard

• Killybegs

• Mountmellick, Laois

• Navan, Meath

• Newbridge

• Newton Mount Kennedy

• Sligo Town & County

• Tullamore, Cavan

• Virginia, Cavan

• Clonmel

• Cork City & County

• Galway City

• Limerick City

• Tralee

• Westport

Watch: Aldi sees record sales during cost of living crisis

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