Aldi creates ‘centralised’ real estate team to power a store expansion spree

The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket is looking to open up 500 new stores. To get the cogs turning on the project has established a new real estate team.

Jonathan Neale, managing director of Aldi, has created the new team as the supermarket have recently announced a long-term plan to operate 1,500 UK stores to meet growing demand from people in the country wanting to have the cheaper supermarket near them.

Against this backdrop, the Bank of England have recently announced that interest rates will remain at 5.25% meaning household budgets may remain squeezed.

Currently, Aldi typically looks for freehold town-centre or edge-of-town sites of around 1.5 acres and can accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with approximately 100 parking spaces. Although the supermarket has expressed an interest in establishing new stores in London and the South-East, it is also looking for sites in areas from Glasgow to Worthing.   

‘This year we opened our landmark 1,000^th store and we have the most ambitious expansion plans of any major supermarket,’ Jonathan Neale, who spent time as a real estate director said. ‘Centralising our real estate team and making it easier for the real estate sector to deal with Aldi is the first step in accelerating progress towards our goal of opening a further 500 new stores. We have clear, consistent requirements and want to partner with land-owners, landlords and developers.’

Jonathan added: ‘Listening to the sector, we know that our new national team will make it easier for people to work with us. We are now set up to have the kind of agility needed to find and deliver the sites and schemes that will help us to bring our amazing quality and unbeatable value to every town and community in the country.’

The new centralised team is being aided by Colliers as the company’s national advisors.

Image: Marques Thomas

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