Aldi planning Kent expansion over next two years

Aldi wants to invest £23m in Kent over the next two years

Aldi is to invest £23m in Kent over the next two years in a move the retailer says will help shoppers who are "still finding things difficult".

As part of a nationwide £1.6bn investment, a new store will open in Ashford as suitable sites are sought in Tunbridge Wells and Gravesend.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK and Ireland, says the expansion is about offering customers "affordable groceries".

In recent weeks the British Retail Consortium revealed that food inflation hit 4.2% in the year to August - its highest in 18 months.

The retailer is also recruiting for more than 135 roles in Kent.

According to the latest figures from Kent County Council, the county's unemployment rate in August was 3.3% - below the national average of 4%.

The youth rate, for those aged between 18 and 24, was 5.8%. The national rate was 5.4%.