ALDI has announced it is looking to build a new store in Stow-on-the-Wold.

The budget supermarket has been on an expansion drive in recent years as it targets having 1,200 stores open by 2025.

Aldi, which currently has more than 880 stores across the UK, says it has identified nine new locations in Gloucestershire where it is looking for freehold town centre or edge-of centre sites suitable for development.

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

The UK’s fifth largest supermarket says it also wants to build new stores in Lydney, Thornbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud and Yate.

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And, in Worcestershire, the retailer says it also wants to build new stores in Pershore and Evesham.

It’s important to point out that while this list of locations is not definite – it gives a strong indication as to where the supermarket company want to expand to.

Ciaran Aldridge, national property director at Aldi UK, said: “Aldi is growing rapidly and we are welcoming around a million new customers into our stores

every year.

“But there are also hundreds of towns across the UK where there is not an Aldi, meaning there are hundreds of thousands of people who can’t easily access the high quality, affordable food our customers love.

“We are willing to explore all opportunities, including developer-led schemes or existing retail units.”