Aldi says sales in Irish stores up 21%

SUPERMARKET chain ALDI said that its sales in Ireland soared by 21% last year as it increased its market share to almost 5%.

The German discount retailer said it is extremely pleased with its performance here last year.

The discounter now plans to push ahead with plans for a €350 million expansion that will see the company open 32 new stores over the next three years, creating 650 jobs.

It is also on track to open a second regional distribution centre in Mitchelstown, Cork to service its southern operations.

Figures from Neilson show that Aldi’s market share grew to 4.8% in November.

A spokesman for the company refused to give any further details on the store’s performance last year.

Managing director of Aldi Stores Ireland, Donald Mackay, said: “We have experienced strong growth over the last number of years as we reach more people with our proposition.

“More and more consumers are now realising that shopping with us gives huge savings without having to compromise on quality.

“This has been helped by the current economic climate where shoppers are more conscious of their grocery spend.

“We are committed to offering premium quality products at the best value prices in the market and saving customers an average of 30% on the price of their weekly shopping.”

Aldi recently said sales in Britain rose 22.2% in December.

The privately-owned retailer said total British sales climbed 24.8% to £2.15bn (€2.3bn) last year, as it increased its store numbers across Britain from 416 to 457.