Aldi 'copying Lidl' with new in-store section as shoppers say 'hope we get one'

Aldi shoppers are just realising that some branches have in-store bakeries - with some saying it reminds them of rival supermarket Lidl.

The budget grocer opened its first in-story bakery over five years ago and they’re now available in 25 stores. In a post on the Aldi UK Shoppers Facebook page, one shopper was stunned that her local Aldi in Gosport, Hampshire, now has an in-store bakery.

She said: “I was quite shocked today when I saw my local Aldi now has a bakery! I had no idea this was going to happen! Has anyone else noticed any bakeries open in their Aldi's? Perhaps I'm just late to the party.”

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The post attracted hundreds of comments from other shoppers, who said they wish their nearest store had one. Others compared the new section to Lidl, which is well-known for its bakeries. One person said: “Oh my days I hope we don’t get one.”

Another said: “Copying Lidl.” A third person posted: “I've always said that's the one thing missing.” A fourth said: “Our one in Otford has had one for a few weeks now, it's actually quite good.”

It comes after Aldi published an updated list of priority locations across the UK where it wants to open new stores. This expansion is part of a £650million investment this year.

Each site should be able to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with around 100 parking spaces and ideally be near a main road with good visibility and access.

The supermarket is also on the lookout for sites to accommodate its Aldi Local store format in Central London in zones one and two, which typically have a minimum size of 5,000 sq ft of trading space, along with an additional 3,000 sq ft of ancillary space.

The supermarket has also revealed that ten new stores will open in summer including Caterham in Surrey, Sheffield in South Yorkshire, and Fulham Broadway in London.

Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, said: "We want to make high-quality, affordable food accessible to everyone, and that means opening new stores in the communities that need them most.

"The response from the public has been invaluable in helping us identify where demand is greatest, and where we need to focus our efforts on finding the sites that can become new stores."

Aldi store assistants received a pay increase earlier this year, with hourly rates rising to at least £12.75 and £14.05 within the M25. It has also committed to a further pay increase for store colleagues from September 2025.

This will take its minimum rates of pay to £12.85 per hour nationally and £14.16 per hour for those within the M25.