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Aldi announces 16 new UK store openings in 2026 - including one in popular holiday spot

The supermarket chain has confirmed it will be opening 16 new stores across the UK in the coming months as part of its 370 million investment in new stores

[Aldi today announced a major expansion of stores in the UK]

Aldi today announced a major expansion of stores in the UK(Image: Getty Images)

In a major announcement today, supermarket giant Aldi revealed it will launch 16 new stores over the coming months. While opening dates remain under wraps, the discount retailer confirmed fresh locations will include Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Malton, North Yorkshire, Watford and Hoxton in London, Hattersley and Wigan in Greater Manchester, and Balsall Common in the West Midlands.

The latest expansion backs Aldi's long-term goal to run 1,500 stores nationwide, bringing more communities access to its award-winning quality products at rock-bottom prices. The move comes after Aldi unveiled its new Salford Quays branch last month and is part of the chain's planned 370 million investment in fresh stores during 2026.

Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, said: "At Aldi, we're committed to making high-quality, affordable food accessible to everyone, which is why we continue to invest in expanding our store network across the UK.

"Our 370 million investment in new stores this year will help us bring Aldi's unbeatable value to even more communities, supporting local economies through our industry-leading pay for colleagues."

Earlier this year, Aldi boosted wages for shop floor staff following a 42 million investment in pay during 2026. Store Assistant wages now begin at 13.50 per hour nationally, climbing to 14.47 based on length of service, while staff within the M25 earn 14.88 per hour, rising to 15.20 with service.

New Aldi stores opening in the coming months include:

• Hattersley, Greater Manchester
• Newport, Isle of Wight
• Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham
• Newport, South Wales
• Orpington, London
• Hoxton, London
• Ashford, Kent
• Watford, London
• Rayleigh, Essex
• Balsall Common, West Midlands
• Marble Arch, London
• Malton, North Yorkshire
• Port Talbot, Wales
• Sutton Coldfield, West London
• Wigan, Greater Manchester
• Sudbury, Suffolk

Aldi has announced that over 500 of its stores could be powered by solar energy by the end of the year, as part of a new wave of installations.

The supermarket chain revealed it has already fitted panels at 470 locations across the UK and plans to introduce the renewable technology to an additional 62 stores in 2026.

Potential locations for these installations include Stratford-upon-Avon, Maghull, Northampton and Wrexham, it said.

Unveiling the plans on Friday, Aldi stated that the new installations are part of its 8.4 million investment in fitting solar panels at 100 stores throughout 2025 and 2026.

According to Aldi, each installation can supply up to 30% of a store's annual energy requirements, aiding the company in bolstering its energy resilience across its estate.

This comes as households and businesses in the UK have been hit by fluctuating energy costs in recent years, due to conflicts and geopolitical instability pushing up fossil fuel prices.

Jonathan Neale added: "We've made significant progress over the past year, and we are advancing the next phase of our solar rollout across even more stores in 2026.

"The programme has expanded to cover even more sites than originally planned, and through ongoing investment in our estate, we're making our operations more resilient while ensuring we continue to deliver great value for customers in a more sustainable way."

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