Aldi customers are now discovering that select stores feature in-store bakeries, prompting comparisons to rival supermarket Lidl. The discount retailer has been testing these bakeries since 2019, and they are currently available in 25 stores. A shopper from Gosport, Hampshire, expressed surprise at finding a bakery in her local Aldi and asked if others had noticed similar additions in their stores.
The news sparked a flurry of responses from shoppers wishing for bakery sections in their nearby Aldi stores. Some drew parallels to Lidl, well-known for its bakery offerings. Meanwhile, Aldi recently unveiled a list of priority locations in the UK for new store openings as part of a £650 million investment this year.
The supermarket aims to develop stores spanning 20,000 sq ft with ample parking and easy accessibility near main roads. Additionally, Aldi is seeking sites to accommodate its Aldi Local store format in Central London zones one and two, requiring at least 5,000 sq ft of trading space and 3,000 sq ft of ancillary space.
In the upcoming summer, Aldi plans to open ten new stores, including locations in Surrey, South Yorkshire, and London. Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing high-quality and affordable food by opening stores where they are most needed.
Earlier this year, Aldi increased hourly rates for store assistants to a minimum of £12.75, rising to £14.05 within the M25 area. Further pay raises for store colleagues are scheduled for September 2025, aiming to set minimum rates at £12.85 per hour nationally and £14.16 per hour within the M25.
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