The British arm of discounter Aldi said that it is planning to hire more than 6,000 workers, continuing its expansion plans after a robust performance over the key holiday season.
New stores were planned in Norwich and Newcastle in England, it said in a statement. The company is also recruiting for 450 jobs across its 11 regional distribution centres.
Double-Digit Sales Growth
Aldi and Lidl, another German discount retailer, reported double-digit sales growth for the Christmas period on strong demand for their low-price products during a cost-of-living crisis.
Privately-owned Aldi, which has over 990 stores and 40,000 employees in Britain, last year overtook Morrisons to become Britain's fourth-largest supermarket chain.
Aldi, which says it opened the world's first discount grocery store, and Lidl have grown rapidly over the last decade, chipping away at the market share held by established supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.
That has helped the duo to continue expanding even as costs surge.
"It’s more important than ever that we are making it even easier for more people to shop with us – including by opening dozens of new stores," commented Giles Hurley, Aldi UK chief executive.
Warehouse Workers
In January, Aldi UK announced it would increase pay rates for around 7,000 warehouse workers.
From 1 February warehouse workers will receive a minimum rate of £13.18 (€14.83) an hour, an increase on the £11.48 they earned last January.
British inflation eased in January after hitting a 41-year high in October, offering some comfort to the Bank of England, but the pressure on households remains intense as food and drink prices rose at the fastest pace since 1977.
News by Reuters, edited by by ESM – your source for the latest retail news. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
