Aldi boosts food affordability measures in Britain

Jessica Parker • September 28, 2026 • 2 min read

Aldi boosts food affordability measures in Britain with £900 million investment to help with inflation pressures.

Aldi commits £900 million to additional stores and distribution centres.

Aldi announced a suite of initiatives aimed at improving food affordability in Britain as inflation pressures mount. The retailer intends to commit a record £900 million to additional stores and distribution centres, maintain price reductions throughout its assortment, and expand long-term contracts with British suppliers for the coming years ahead.

The announcement coincides with Aldi’s latest annual results, which saw turnover increase 5% to a record £19bn in the 12 months to 31st December 2025. The supermarket’s share of the UK grocery market is estimated at 10.6%.

Aldi’s investment in 2027 will include 40 new stores and continued works on its distribution network. They are set to open 30 stores over the next 10 weeks, including locations in Dumbarton, Newport, and Willesden, London.

The supermarket currently has 1,092 stores and plans to scale to 1,500 stores across the UK, with a focus on communities cut off from affordable groceries due to lack of local choice or competition. It aims to provide these communities with better access to affordable food.

Aldi has committed to continue cutting prices across its range in the build-up to Christmas. So far this year, the supermarket has invested £340 million in reducing prices on over 1,000 products, including orange juice, butter, fresh meat, and frozen fish. This move is expected to benefit customers.

The supermarket has also committed to sourcing at least 50% of products through long-term agreements with its suppliers by 2027. This will give producers and manufacturers greater confidence to invest in boosting production capacity, making Britain’s food system less reliant on overseas imports. Aldi spent £14bn with British suppliers in 2025 and champions home-grown food.

Around 80% of its sales come from British suppliers, whilst 100% of its everyday fresh beef, pork, and poultry is sourced from British farms. The supermarket’s commitment to British suppliers is a key part of its strategy.

Alongside record sales, Aldi’s operating profit for the same 12-month period was flat on the previous year at £432.9m, representing an operating margin of 2.3%. The company’s financial performance is a sign of its successful business model.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “The cost of food remains one of the biggest pressures on households across the country. Recent droughts at home and events overseas have highlighted just how fragile our food system is and why food security must be a long-term national priority.”

Aldi has upped Store Assistant pay twice this year, with colleagues taking home a market-leading minimum of £13.50 an hour nationally, and £14.88 within the M25. The supermarket’s focus on simple, everyday low prices and award-winning quality has driven sales, with more customers buying more products at Aldi. Giles Hurley noted that the company’s approach has been successful in attracting customers.