Aldi begins expansion in earnest
Discount food retailer Aldi is beginning an increased roll-out of stores in Australia, with Queensland being a major focus of the company at the moment.
Aldi has purchased a site in Beaudesert’s business centre and is now beginning construction on the retail centre. The Gold Coast Bulletin reports that there will also be four retail tenants and a Hungry Jack’s takeaway food outlet on the site.
Aldi are also planning to have supermarkets in Beenleigh and in Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast. This would increase their number of stores to eight on the Gold Coast, with the Gold Coast Bulletin reporting that Aldi believe there could be potential for up to 25 stores in the region. Further, the ABC reports that Aldi has now received conditional approval to use a former Bi-Lo site in Muswellbrook, NSW.
The continued expansion of Aldi retail outlets comes amid claims that there is great potential for a third supermarket chain to have a major impact in Australia, following public criticism of Woolworths and Coles. Aldi already has 167 stores operating in Australia and, with plans to increase that number to at least 400 in the coming years, perhaps they could pose a strong challenge to the market leaders in the years ahead.
