German discounters starting work on three supermarkets

GERMAN discounters Aldi and Lidl are set to open three new North Wales stores over the next nine months – creating 120 jobs in the region.

Last week saw Aldi start work in Holyhead on the conversion of the former Home Bargains and Argos units into a new supermarket.

Workers moved in at the site on Penrhos Retail Park (below left) and they hope to have the store open by September.

This month will see boots hit the ground in Ruthin – with Aldi developing on land between

Ruthin farm auction and Brickfield Lane.

German rival Lidl is also increasing its store portfolio with work underway on a new store in Llandudno Junction (below right) that will open this summer. Each store is tipped to create 40 retail jobs.

But this is not expected to be the end of expansion in the region for the companies.

Aldi has been given permission to build a new store in Bangor to replace its existing site.

Their future target list includes a new store in Pwllheli and a replacement shop in Llandudno.

Lidl is looking to build a new store on the site of the former Wrexham police station.

It has also listed Rhyl, Abergele, Flint, Caernarfon and Llandudno as target towns.

Talking about their developments in North Wales, an Aldi spokesman said: “Construction work on our Holyhead store has started this week, and we are looking forward to opening in September 2020, creating up to 40 new jobs and making it even easier for residents to shop and save closer to home.

“We are hoping to start construction on site in February.

“We hope to open our new Ruthin store in autumn 2020.

“We’re excited to bring an Aldi food store to serve the Ruthin community, improving shopping choice and creating up to 40 jobs for local people.”

Last year Lidl said it is looking to rapidly expand its UK store estate as it finds ways to contend with the Big Four grocers Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

Chief executive UK Christian Hartnagel said he plans to open another 230 stores in the next three years, taking its total UK estate to 1,000 by 2023.

Aldi plans to open a new store in the UK every week on average for the next two years.