Aldi has revealed plans to open 500 new stores across the UK, including 20 before the end of 2023. 

The announcement comes following the opening of the supermarket chain's 1,000th store in the country in Woking, Surrey recently. 

It also comes days after it secured planning permission for a new larger store in Accrington, despite other nearby supermarkets complaints.

The move is said to be part of a two-year £1.3 billion investment into expansion and would see Aldi's UK portfolio grow to 1,500 stores.

The proposed locations include one East Lancashire town, plus a handful of other locations across the rest of Lancashire and other nearby areas.

Darwen is mooted as a possible site, with Penwortham, Bradshaw and Radcliffe also listed.

Aldi UK and Ireland chief executive, Giles Hurley, said: "Opening our 1,000th store is a huge milestone and wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our 40,000 incredible colleagues.

"Our popularity is growing, and there is huge demand for people to have an Aldi store near to them to increase shoppers’ access to our unbeatable prices.

“The next phase of our expansion will involve another 500 new stores over the coming years. It is a long-term target and is not a ceiling to our ambition to have an Aldi store close to everyone in the UK.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Aldi recently opened its 1000th store in the UK.Aldi recently opened its 1000th store in the UK. (Image: Aldi)

Aldi also revealed plans, last month, to hire over 1,700 workers in its warehouses. 

New Aldi stores opening in September 2023

There are already two new Aldi stores set to open in September 2023:

  • Warrington - September 14
  • Seaton - September 21

Two Aldi supermarkets have already opened in the UK this month:

  • Woking - September 7
  • Selby - September 7

Proposed sites for new Aldi stores in the UK

Aldi has also outlined locations across the UK where it would like to open new stores.

The areas in the UK Aldi has listed as "required locations" where they would like to build new stores are:

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 and North Wales

  • Aintree
  • Kirkby
  • Upton
  • New Brighton
  • Toxteth
  • Dolgellau
  • Caernarfon
  • Warrington
  • Queensferry
  • Church Stretton

East Anglia, Essex and Hertfordshire

  • Cambridge (South)
  • St Albans
  • Basildon
  • Brentwood
  • Basildon
  • Rayleigh
  • Southend / Leigh on Sea
  • Harpenden
  • Ware
  • Hitchin

South Wales and South West

  • Bristol
  • Penzance
  • Barry
  • Plymouth 
  • Swansea
  • Exmouth
  • Cardiff
  • Exeter
  • Hereford
  • Ivybridge

South Central & the 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

Scotland

  • Glasgow, Cathcart 
  • Glasgow, Springburn
  • Clarkston
  • Glasgow, Glasgow Fort
  • Bonnyrigg
  • Edinburgh, Barnton 
  • Blantyre 
  • Newhouse
  • Dumbarton
  • Falkirk, Ladysmill

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

These sites must meet certain criteria including being a minimum two acres to accommodate 18,000 to 20,000 sq ft unit and at least 100 parking spaces; having prominent main road frontage; being either central or on the edge of a town centre with a population of 15,000 or more; and the location must also be at least 1.5km from an existing store.