A POPULAR budget supermarket has announced plans to invest more than £17m in new and upgraded stores across Hampshire by 2023.

German foodstore, Aldi, has confirmed it has already invested £7.8m in new stores and refurbishments in Hampshire this year, with a further £9.5m investment planned by the end of 2022.

The supermarket’s 2022 expansion plans for Hampshire includes a new store in Petersfield, as well as a new store in Southampton.

The investment is part of the supermarket’s rapid expansion drive in recent years.

It is on track to create 2,000 permanent new roles across the UK this year, and also announced last week that it would be hiring for 218 store roles in the local area between now and the end of the year.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer, Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We’ve been helping Britain find the best value for money when it comes to their weekly shops for more than 30 years – and now more than ever we’re seeing heightened demand for our unbeatable prices.

“However, we know there are still areas that don’t have a store, or that need more to meet the increased customer demand we’ve witnessed in recent months. Our 2022 expansion plans are helping to achieve that, making the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket more accessible to even more people.”

Aldi has recently increased its minimum hourly rates, paying a minimum hourly rate of £10.50 an hour nationally and £11.95 within the M25. The new rates of pay are boosted by the fact Aldi remains the only UK supermarket to offer paid breaks, which for the average store colleague is worth £830 annually.

Those interested in applying for jobs at Aldi can visit www.aldirecruitment.co.uk.