Aldi is to open 80 new shops over the next two years, as well as opening a new one every week until the end of the year, after sales hit a record high.

On top of the new sites to be launched, the UK arm of the German discount retailer said a further 21 stores will open within the next 13 weeks, in London, Durham, and Scotland.

"If we're not there already, we are coming to a town near you," Aldi's UK and Ireland chief executive Giles Hurley told reporters, which will create thousands of additonal jobs.

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Earlier this year, Aldi also said it was seeking sites in Bromley and Ealing in London, South Shields in Tyne and Wear, and Witney in Oxfordshire.

Opening more shops will mean growing market share as the barrier of distance to an Aldi is eliminated.

"The last 35 years have taught us that when we open a store nearby, customers switch to Aldi," Mr Hurley said.

"The main reason people choose not to shop with us regularly is distance, with over a third of shoppers saying they'd switched to Aldi for their main shop if we opened a store closer to them."

There are currently 1,060 Aldis in the UK, with an ambition to bring the total to 1,500.

Price wars

Aldi has overtaken Asda to become the UK's third most popular supermarket.

More families were choosing it as the place to do their weekly shop and were also going more frequently for top-up shopping, the company said, which helped Aldi's UK and Ireland annual revenue reach a new record of £18.1bn in 2024.

Prices are to be brought down in the coming weeks and months as Christmas approaches, Mr Hurley said, as 900 products became cheaper with £300m spent on bringing down the cost of goods.

"I'm really confident that in the coming days, weeks and months, we'll continue to see prices in our stores drop", Mr Hurley added.

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Market trends

Despite promised price falls, the outlook for overall inflation is "stubborn", he said, "more stubborn than other developed countries".

This is seen in changing buyer behaviour. More shoppers are treating themselves at home rather than going out and are increasingly buying Aldi's own-label premium goods, Mr Hurley said.

Looking to the budget on 26 November, he said there's "no doubt" it "does create a bit of uncertainty".

Grocery prices could rise, and consumer confidence could be affected if business costs grow, he added.