Aldi to axe hundreds of UK jobs under global cost-saving plans

Aldi is planning to reduce its head office workforce by up to 150 roles as part of an ongoing reorganisation of its UK business.

The discount supermarket chain is currently consulting staff in its technology department regarding the proposals, which form part of wider restructuring efforts, according to reporting by the Guardian newspaper.

The decision follows approximately 103 redundancies made within finance and administration teams earlier this year, alongside the removal of almost 20 buying director positions.

The restructuring is not expected to impact jobs in shops.

Aldi operates more than 1,000 stores across the UK and Ireland and is the UK’s fourth-largest grocery chain, according to the latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator.

The company has previously said it wants to reach 1,500 shops and would focus on communities where it sees a lack of affordable options for shoppers.

But the retailer has reportedly been outsourcing some administrative and finance roles to lower-cost companies in eastern Europe and India, having initiated restructuring within head offices last year.

A spokesperson for Aldi said: “At Aldi, our promise to customers is that we will always offer great quality products at unbeatable prices.

“Across our international business, we continuously review all aspects of our operations to ensure we operate simply, efficiently and use our global scale to deliver on that promise.

“We are therefore making some adjustments to the way parts of our UK business are structured.

“Any changes are being introduced gradually and following a consultation period.

“We recognise that this is difficult for those involved, so we are giving colleagues as much notice as possible, with full support available to everyone affected.”

The news comes as the budget supermarket is set to open 24 new shops across the UK before Christmas, while three existing stores will be relocated.

Aldi has been the UK’s cheapest supermarket for seven months in a row, according to Which?’s monthly grocery report, which shows its estimated share of the UK grocery market at 10.6 per cent.

Last month, the supermarket announced a £900m investment in new stores and distribution centres, with a target of 1,500 shops across the UK, up from the current 1,092.

In addition to the new openings, the three stores that are set for closure and relocation are in Sudbury, Sutton Coldfield and Wigan.