Aldi slides into red as sales growth falters

Discount supermarket Aldi has slumped into the red in a sharp turnaround in fortunes following its boom year in 2008, figures showed today.

The German-owned chain blamed the £54.2m (€62m) loss in 2009 on heavy investment in revamping stores and buying new outlets as it tried to take on Britain’s resurgent big four supermarkets.