Aldi offers finder’s fee to public for locating new store site

It comes after Lidl offered members of the public a similar fee

Aldi has revealed a “wish list” of new store locations across the UK and offered a finder’s fee for anyone who can help find suitable sites (PA) (PA Media)

Aldi is offering a finder’s fee to anyone who can help it find a new store location in the UK.

The German discount retailer, which is the UK’s fifth largest supermarket, has released a wish list of new store locations across the country.

It has been on a rapid expansion drive in recent years, helping it grow its market share to a record nine per cent.

There are currently more than 960 Aldi stores across the UK.

The supermarket is looking for a freehold town centre or edge-of-town sites of around 1.5 acres, as it requires sites that can fit a 20,000-square foot store with around 100 parking spaces.a

Other requirements on Aldi’s new store wish list include being located near a main road with good visibility and access. The supermarket also said the new location should be a minimum of 1.5km from an existing store and be in a catchment area of approximate 15,000 people.

Anyone who successfully helps the retailer find a new location, including members of the public, will receive a finder’s fee equivalent to either 1.5 per cent of the freehold price or 10 per cent of the first year’s rent for leasehold sites.

The list of areas that Aldi is targeting for new stores include: Aldershot, Allestree, Barry, Basildon, Bath, Birmingham, Bonnyrigg, Brentwood, Cambridge South, Cathcart, Cheadle, Chepstow, Chesterfield, Chesterton, Clarkston, Coventry, Crawley, Dorchester, Drylaw (Edinburgh), Formby, Gerrards Cross/Chalfont St Peter, Guildford, Harrogate, Ladysmill (Falkirk), Leicester Fosse Park, Lightwood (Stoke on Trent), Liverpool, Meadowhall, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Leeds, Ossett, Otley, Oxford, Penwortham, Plymstock, Rayleigh, Runcorn, Saltash, Scarborough, Slough, South Normantan, St Albans, Sunderland, Torquay, Tunbridge Wells, Upton, Warrington, ellingborough, West Didsbury, Wigan, Wilmslow, Wombourne, Worthing, and York.

George Brown, UK national property director of Aldi, said: “By opening more Aldi stores, we can provide affordable, high-quality food to even more people.

“But despite our growth in recent years, some people still don’t have access to a local store, which is why it is our mission to continue on with our ambitious growth plans and change that.

“Our finder’s fee is available to anyone who can find Aldi an appropriate property so we’d encourage people to share any suitable suggestions and get in touch.”

The supermarket’s move comes two months after Lidl offered members of the public a similar finder’s fee if they could recommend suitable sites for new stores across the UK.

Lidl said it would pay finders a fee of either 1.5 per cent of the price of a freehold purchase or 10 per cent of the first year’s rent for leasehold sites.

The Grocer reported that for a completed purchase of a £1.5 million site, this would equate to £22,500.

Additional reporting by PA