Aldi reveals it wants to build two new stores in Wakefield - here's where

The supermarket plans to invest more than £400m in store development over the coming year as it targets new and refurbished stores across the UK, including in Ossett.

It currently has more than 990 stores but is committed to continuing towards its current target of 1,200 stores across the UK, including in the Midlands, North West, North East, Yorkshire and coastal towns, to reach more shoppers.

That means Aldi is on the lookout for freehold town-centre or edge-of-town sites which are around 1.5 acres and can accommodate a 20,000sq foot store with about 100 parking spaces.

Ideally, each location would be near a main road with good visibility and access, with Rayleigh and Basildon among its priority locations.

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer at Aldi UK, said: “Demand for Aldi has never been higher here are still some towns and areas that either don’t have access to an Aldi or have capacity for additional stores.

“To meet that demand, we need to open more stores and it’s our mission to keep driving our ambitious expansion plan to achieve that.”

The supermarket is offering a finder’s fee for agents who recommend a site, which is either 1.5% of a freehold price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leasehold sites.

Aldi is also looking at opening other shops in Yorkshire including in York, Harrogate, and Scarborough.