Aldi has announced plans to open between 40 and 50 stores in South Australia, in a bid to create more than 900 jobs across the state.
The discount supermarket revealed today (February 12th) it is hoping its investment – worth hundreds of millions of dollars – will boost the local economy, but said it would take several years to secure a warehouse site and sufficient store locations.
According to Aldi’s managing director Tom Daunt, the chain has been committed to expansion in Australia since 2001 and he claimed the benefits associated with the move will be “substantial”.
He added: “Aldi Australia’s presence has had a significant downward effect on grocery prices, delivering savings to all consumers when there is an Aldi store in their neighbourhood.”
At present, the company has over 200 stores across the eastern states of Australia and the Australian Capital Territory and has an estimated five per cent market share in the supermarket sector.
Premier Jay Weatherill welcomed the decision and said it is great news for the state’s retail industry and is a vote of confidence in the strength of the South Australian economy.
