Aldi wants to open new stores in Chichester, Bognor and Midhurst

The UK’s fifth largest supermarket has been on an expansion drive in recent years, opening around one new store a week on average to meet demand from new customers.

Aldi which now has more than 900 stores across the UK, is looking for freehold town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for development.

The full list of locations it is targeting in West Sussex are; Bognor Regis; Burgess Hill; Chichester; Crawley; East Grinstead; Haywards Heath; Horsham; Littlehampton; Midhurst; Shoreham and Worthing.

The supermarket chain said the proposals would see the opening of a second Chichester-based store. It also confirmed that a new store in Bognor is seperate to the Salt Box site plans.

“We are seeking another opportunity in the town,” an Aldi spokesperson added.

However, the company was unable to confirm if plans for a store at The Grange in Midhurst had been stalled, adding: “We are currently seeking a suitable site in Midhurst.”

Aldi said each site should be around 1.5 acres and able to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with around 100 parking spaces, ideally on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access.

Ciaran Aldridge, National Property Director at Aldi UK, said: “We have been investing in Britain for more than 30 years now, but we know that there are still areas that either do not have an Aldi at all, or that need another store to meet customer demand.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking to get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality. That’s why, more so than ever, we’re keen to explore all opportunities to open new stores across the country.”