Eight new jobs at supermarket after store’s renovation
New-look Aldi’s wider aisles and increased space
A DISCOUNT supermarket in Portsmouth has reopened with a new look, wider aisles and eight new members of staff.
Aldi, in Gamble Road, Buckland, closed its doors on December 31 to undergo a renovation as part of a national £500m stores improvement scheme.
Store manager Dan Le-Bas said: ‘It was lovely to welcome back some familiar faces into store as well as new customers.
'I look forward to meeting more of the community in the coming weeks, and supplying them with the everyday amazing products we have available.
‘Hopefully the new-look store will make shopping at Aldi Portsmouth that bit easier and more comfortable.
‘I’d also like to thank our customers for following the social distancing guidelines we have in place to ensure the health and safety of both our customers and colleagues.’
The shop, which has 990 sq m of retail space, has brought in wider aisles.
The new-look store also offers increased space dedicated to fresh British meat and fish, as well as Lacura health and beauty products, beers, wines and spirits, Mamia babycare products, and a Food to Go section, offering a choice of fresh salads, sandwiches and sushi.
The store employs 28 people, and the refurbishment created an additional eight jobs.
The chain had its busiest ever Christmas, with sales up 10.6 per cent compared with the same trading period a year ago.
It said that a demand for premium products, and strong growth in its wines and offers, helped drive its figures. Thousands of customers also ordered their groceries online through its click-and-collect service and on-demand delivery partnership with Deliveroo.
Aldi has said it would spend an additional £3.5bn a year with British suppliers by 2025.
The supermarket, which has more than 900 stores, plans to open on average a new store every week over the coming years as it targets 1,200 stores by 2025.
Chief executive officer Giles Hurley said: ‘We are expecting significant sales growth this year as we open new stores and bring Aldi to more locations across the UK. With the vast majority of our grocery products now coming from British suppliers, our growth will lead to additional jobs and investment in our UK supply chain.'