GERMAN discounter Aldi has shown no sign of ending its long-standing policy of staying out of Northern Ireland.
The supermarket chain announced a £1.3 billion investment plan on Monday that will add 100 new stores and 2,000 jobs to its portfolio of 920 supermarkets in Britain.
Aldi, which has operated in GB for three decades, is also continuing to build up its portfolio in the Republic where it has opened 150 stores since 1999, including six supermarkets in Co Donegal alone.
But a spokesperson for the retailer yesterday signalled Aldi has no plans to announce a policy change in respect of the north.
Fellow German retailer Lidl, which operates on a remarkably similar scale and modus operandi to Aldi in both the Republic and Britain, has continued to record the fastest growth of any Northern Ireland grocery chain in recent years.
Aldi yesterday revealed its sales soared 10.2 per cent in Britain and the Republic in 2020 to £12.3 billion.
Bosses added the number of customers during the period increased from 17.6 million to 17.8 million, although pre-tax profits fell 2.5 per cent to £264.8 million.
