Aldi: Aldi opens 100 new stores in the UK – despite Brexit

Author: Marcus Schilling
Date: 18.09.2019

Discounter risks the battle through Brexit

By the end of 2020, Aldi Süd plans to invest more than a billion euros in Great Britain. Discounter Aldi says that he is prepared for the battle against Brexit.

In the battle for market share in Great Britain, the discounters invested heavily in their own stores. Aldi plans to invest around 1.1 billion euros in 100 new stores and distribution centers by the end of 2020, said Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley on Monday. The number of stores is expected to continue to rise to around 1200 by the end of 2025.

The family group already has a market share of 8.1 percent in Great Britain and ranks fifth on the list of the most successful companies in Great Britain. However, in 2018 operating profit fell by 26% due to the price war between competitors Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons. This represents a loss of 197.9 million pounds.

Meanwhile, an increase in turnover of eleven percent was perceived, which corresponds to about 11.3 billion pounds. “We’ve never focused on short-term profit maximization,” Hurley said. “Our focus is on growth, turnover, business and customer numbers.” Aldi UK enjoys the full confidence of the parent company.

Aldi and Lidl fought their way through the financial crisis and threw smaller dealers out of the ring.