WARWICKSHIRE, UK – Aldi has announced that it will be almost doubling its UK store base by 2021 with an expansion project which will add 470 new stores to its retail empire over the next 6 years.

"In addition to opening new stores, we are making strong investment in our behind-the-scenes operations,” said Roman Heini, Joint Group Managing Director of Aldi UK. “This ensures we can successfully grow, while keeping our customers at the heart of everything we do."

Among the investments that Roman discussed is a £70 million ($113 million) expansion of Aldi's Warwickshire headquarters and a second expansion of its Atherstone headquarters, according to The Guardian.

With this announcement, industry insiders have already begun to speculate if Tesco, the UK's largest retail chain, will respond with a move of its own.

For now however, all eyes are on Aldi, a position which Matthew Barnes, Roman's fellow Joint Group Managing Director, is fully comfortable with.

“Since Aldi opened its first UK store in 1990, we have established a reputation as an award-winning retailer that offers the highest quality products at everyday low prices,” he shared in the City AM. “This is driving our growth and we are rapidly expanding to meet customer demand.”

According to The Guardian, Aldi currently controls 5% of the UK grocery market, a 3.7% increase from one year ago. How these numbers will change in the future in light of this impressive expansion plan is one topic which I will certainly be following with rapt attention. 

Aldi