Tag: Aldi

Aldi donates over 25,000 meals to Edinburgh and Lothians charities over Christmas and New Year

Aldi donates surplus food from all its stores to local charities and foodbanks when stores close early on Christmas Eve. Aldi’s staff L-R Emily Sutton, Carla Louise Gospel and Tamara Mawson-Phipps 24/12/2022

Aldi donated 25,691 meals to those in need in Edinburgh and The Lothians over the festive period.

The supermarket paired up its stores with local charities, community groups and food banks in the area to collect unsold fresh and chilled food when stores closed their doors early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Charities that benefitted from the donations in Edinburgh and The Lothians include The Pennypit Trust, Tummies Not Trash and Winchburgh Food Store.

The food donations are part of Aldi’s successful partnership with Neighbourly, a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations.  

Aldi’s UK stores donate surplus food to good causes each and every day, with over 40 million meals donated to good causes since its partnership with Neighbourly began back in 2019.  

Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket also worked in partnership with Company Shop Group this Christmas to provide around 2,000 meals at its Community Kitchens across the UK in the run up to Christmas.

Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “We are so proud to work with such amazing charity partners throughout the UK and the impact they have cannot be underestimated, especially during the winter months when their services are needed more than ever.

“We are pleased that through our partnership with both Neighbourly and Company Shop we have been able to give back to the communities we serve by providing more donations than ever this Christmas.”

Steve Butterworth, Chief Executive Officer at Neighbourly, added: “We’re pleased to have supported Aldi once again during what is often one of the busiest periods for our charities.

“Large donations like Aldi’s allow us to provide vital support to communities across the country who would otherwise miss out.”

Aldi to strengthen its Scottish portfolio with £56m investment over the next two years

 New stores set to open in Broughty Ferry, Straiton and Castle Douglas in 2024, with Aldi’s investment leading to 500 new jobs 

Aldi has confirmed it will continue its expansion in Scotland, with plans to invest more than £56m over the next two years, opening three new stores in Broughty Ferry, Straiton and Castle Douglas next year. 

The move supports the discount retailer’s growth ambitions and will allow it to meet consumer demands for outstanding quality and the lowest value in Scotland.  

In 2023, Aldi became Scotland’s third-biggest supermarket by volume, moving it ahead of Morrisons and Sainsbury’s for the first time. According to recently published Kantar data, Aldi’s share of the grocery market had increased from 9.7% in November 2022 to 10.6% in November 2023[1].  

Aldi has soared in popularity in recent years and welcomed more customers than ever before through its doors, with an additional 5 million customers this year.  

In addition to the new stores in 2024, the supermarket has also committed to extend five of its existing stores, including Erskine, Port Glasgow and Alexandria over the next two years.  

Having been crowned Employer of the Year at the Scotland Food and Drinks Excellence Awards 2023, the investment will see Aldi increase its employees in Scotland by over 10% in 2024.  

Aldi also recently committed to a New Year pay rise, making it the first supermarket in the UK to offer rates in line with the Real Living Wage. It will also guarantee store and warehouse colleagues pay of at least £12 an hour.  

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Aldi Scotland, said: “2023 was another excellent year for Aldi Scotland, and I am extremely proud that our presence within the Scottish market has continued to be recognised and celebrated.

“We remain committed to the strong relationships we have built with our Scottish suppliers, allowing our customers the opportunity to purchase locally sourced, high-quality Scottish products at affordable prices.  

“As we look to the new year, we remain committed to reaching more customers than ever before, with the opening of more stores and increased investment in Scotland. Next year will be extra special for us as we mark 30 years since we opened our first store in Scotland on Glencairn Street in Kilmarnock. 

“Whether it’s enhancing our product offerings, maintaining the lowest prices, supporting our dedicated teams, or contributing to the communities we serve – every investment is a testament to our unwavering commitment to Scotland.” 

Aldi was commended for its selection of quality, locally sourced Scottish produce in 2023. Its Toradh Scottish Seville Orange Gin was awarded Gold by The Spirits Business’ Gin Masters blind tasting, while its Specially Selected All Butter Shortbread Rounds won Gold in the Christmas Category at the Quality Food Awards.  

Known for its longstanding commitment to supporting community initiatives, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund, which has donated nearly £400,000 to amateur sports clubs to date, will continue in 2024. The retailer’s popular Supermarket Sweep initiative will also return for its ninth year. More than £10,000 was donated to Scottish foodbanks through the initiative in 2023.  

In November, Aldi announced a new partnership with Age Scotland, encouraging shoppers to submit festive greetings to help combat loneliness amongst the elderly this winter.  

Aldi makes changes to its Too Good to Go food bag service 

Aldi has extended its reservation window to pick up surplus food bags via Too Good To Go. The move will mean customers in Edinburgh and the Lothians can secure a bag up to 24 hours ahead of the collection time via the app.

The ‘Surprise Bags’ contain a range of grocery products that are approaching their sell-by or use-by dates at a reduced price, costing just £3.30 each to purchase for at least £10 worth of food.

Customers can search for a nearby Aldi store in the Too Good To Go app, before selecting a bag to pick up in-store within a specific time frame, with reservation windows now available from 10pm the day before.

Since partnering with the world’s largest surplus food platform last year, Aldi has sold more than 300,000 Surprise Bags and has been rated the favourite provider of Too Good To Go bags by over one million customers.

Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “By extending the time our customers can reserve a surplus food bag via Too Good To Go, we are hoping even more people can benefit from the initiative. 

“Not only has this partnership helped in our goal to cut down on food waste, but Too Good To Go also offers a simple and accessible way for customers to save even more money when shopping at Aldi. It has been amazing to see how many have benefited already since our partnership began.”

In addition to its Too Good To Go partnership, Aldi’s UK stores donate surplus food to local causes all year round.

Since 2019, the supermarket has donated more than 40 million meals via its successful partnership with Neighbourly.

Aldi donates £50,000 to amateur Scottish sports clubs in 2023

Retailer’s Scottish Sports Fund initiative has supported more than 60 clubs this year

Aldi Scotland has revealed that it has donated £50,000 to amateur sports clubs this year, supporting more than 60 local clubs across six Scottish regions.  

The retailer’s ‘Scottish Sports Fund’ encourages people of all ages and abilities to participate in physical activity within their local communities. It also provides a funding pot for sports clubs to apply for financial support ranging from £500 to £2,500 to help with purchasing new equipment or team kits.  

Since launching in 2016, almost 600 clubs in Scotland have benefitted from a funding worth more than £390,000, as part of Aldi Scotland’s goal to improve community access to sports across the country.  

This year, funds have been donated to sports teams across the country, including Edinburgh, Dundee, Tayside, Perth, Kinross, Fife, Glasgow, the North East, the Highlands and Islands, and Central Scotland.  

One benefactor was the 2011 Girls Team at Musselburgh Windsor Girls Football Club, who received the top award of £2,500. One of the oldest and largest youth football clubs in Scotland, the community club helps girls looking to develop their skills in football.   

Buchan Park Bowling Club also received £1,000 through Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund. Based in West Lothian, the club promotes and trains members of the public in bowling.  

Laura Bosworth, Musselburgh Windsor Girls Football Club, said: “We are so pleased to have been awarded the highest funding of £2,500 from Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund.

“This funding has made a real difference to the work we do in our local community to continue helping girls develop their skills in football.” 

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has given a wide range of sports clubs the chance to benefit from essential funding to help them invest in much-needed equipment and resources.  

“We remain committed to supporting sports clubs across Scotland to help continue the fantastic work they do in their local communities. Every year, we are blown away by the volume of applications we receive, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming even more in 2024.” 

Applications for next year’s Scottish Sports Fund are expected to open in Spring next year.  

The Aldi Scottish Sport Fund is open to any sporting organisation in Scotland that meets the application criteria. All applications will be considered by the Aldi judging panel and entrants will be notified of the outcome of their funding application within four to six weeks from the region’s deadline. 

See the Aldi Scottish Sport Fund FAQs and Terms & Conditions  for more info.

Aldi gives all Colleagues in Edinburgh & The Lothians New Year pay rise

Aldi store colleagues in Edinburgh & The Lothians are to get a pay rise, which will see Aldi become the first supermarket in the UK to guarantee store and warehouse colleagues pay of at least £12 an hour.

This move makes Aldi the first supermarket to offer rates in line with the Real Living Wage that was set by the Living Wage Foundation in October this year.

Store Assistants’ pay will rise further to £12.95 nationally, and £13.85 within the M25, based on the length of service as part of Aldi’s £67m investment into colleague pay.

Aldi is also the only supermarket to offer paid breaks, which for the average store colleague is worth an additional £900 annually.

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Just as we promise to provide the best value to our customers, we are also committed to being the highest-paying supermarket within the sector – which is why we are investing more than ever into this pay rise.

“We are incredibly proud of every single member of Team Aldi and this is a way of thanking them for all their hard work over the past year. We believe our colleagues are the best in the sector and they play a huge part in making Aldi what it is today.” 

The news comes in just as Aldi has been named the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket, according to consumer champion Which? (November 2023). Aldi was also named the UK’s Cheapest Supermarket in both 2021 and 2022.

Aldi’s commitment to being the cheapest supermarket shows no sign of slowing, having made over £360m of price reductions across 800 items so far this year.

Aldi is the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket and has more than 1,000 stores, 11 regional distribution centres and 40,000 colleagues across Britain.

Aldi launches partnership with Age Scotland to help combat loneliness this winter

Young Scots are being encouraged to send a poem or joke to an older person this festive season, through ‘Festive Friends’ post-boxes launching in Aldi Scotland stores this week

Young Scots are being encouraged to bring some much-needed joy to older people experiencing loneliness this winter, through a new campaign launched by Aldi and Age Scotland, the national charity for older people, this month.

The ‘Festive Friends’ campaign will ask shoppers with young children to share their favourite poem or joke on a Festive Friends postcard and submit it through post-boxes which will be in all Scottish Aldi stores from Tuesday, 7th November until Sunday, 19th November. 

Postcards will be distributed to 90 of Age Scotland’s community groups hosting a Christmas event throughout late November and December, funded by Age Scotland grants.

Age Scotland has member groups in communities around the country; for many older people, this will be one of the biggest social events, if not the only social event, they will attend this winter. 

Aldi Scotland will also be donating £1,000 to Age Scotland to support 200 calls on its Friendship Line, a free telephone service which older people can call to have a friendly chat during their day, to help combat feelings of isolation.  

One Friendship Line call to an older person costs £5, and shoppers who are able can also donate directly to the charity via QR codes found on every Festive Friends post-box.

The campaign has launched off the back of recent findings from Age Scotland’s Big Survey*, which indicated that almost two-thirds (66%) of older people don’t feel valued for their contribution to society. The campaign aims to remind them of the joy of shared friendships and people thinking of them, near and far.

Stacey Kitzinger, Head of Fundraising and Marketing at Age Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to team up with Aldi to help spread some festive cheer this winter and make a difference to the lives of older people in communities across Scotland.

“While many of us are looking forward to spending the festive season with family and friends, it is heartbreaking to think that the equivalent of one older person in every street in Scotland feels lonely all or most of the time.

“The festive period is an opportunity for communities and generations to come together. That’s why we’re encouraging younger shoppers and their families to add some sparkle to an older person’s day this winter and share their favourite poem or joke on Aldi’s Festive Friends postcard.

“Money is tight for many, but reaching out doesn’t have to cost anything and knowing someone is thinking of them could be the best gift an older person feeling lonely receives this winter.”

Richard Holloway, Regional Director at Aldi Scotland, added: “This is a fantastic partnership which should make a really positive difference to people living in communities right across Scotland. There is a wonderful opportunity here to light up someone’s day through the words of children and young people.

“Age Scotland does excellent work, and we hope the support of our shoppers will continue to help those most in need, especially those who are feeling particularly isolated this winter season.”

Festive Friends postcards will be available in all Scottish Aldi stores today – Tuesday 7th November. For full T&Cs, visit: age.scot/aldi.

* https://www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/bigsurvey.

Firrhill High School pupil is creator of Aldi’s latest lorry design

A Firrhill High School pupil has been crowned the winner in Aldi’s nationwide lorry design competition, as part of its ongoing partnerships with Team GB and ParalympicsGB. 

The supermarket asked young people across the country to hand draw a design for its next lorry, with Firrhill High School pupil Victoria, age 13, winning the competition. 

The designs had to inspire others to enjoy healthy and sustainable food, with Victoria’s winning design focusing on how incorporating fresh fruit and vegetables can help everyone build a healthy future.  

The judges, including Scottish Paralympian Melanie Woods, were impressed by Victoria’s creation, which will now be seen on an Aldi lorry as it delivers the supermarket’s products to stores across the country. 

The supermarket has also rewarded the young artist with Aldi vouchers and an exclusive Team GB and ParalympicsGB goodybag. Victoria’s school will also receive £1,000 to spend at Aldi. 

Jemma Townsend, Marketing Director at Aldi, said: “The Design a Lorry competition is part of our collaborative efforts with Team GB and ParalympicsGB to promote healthy eating among young people. 

“We had more than 12,000 entries from talented young artists, but it was Victoria’s design that really stood out to our judges due to its eye-catching illustrations and use of bold colours.” 

Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “There were so many strong entries this year, it made it difficult to pick just two winners.

“However, Victoria’s design captured the topic of healthy and sustainable food perfectly.” 

Jenny Seymour, Commercial Director at ParalympicsGB, said: “Victoria’s winning design showcases brilliantly the importance of fresh and healthy food.

“Our athletes enjoyed surprising her at school last week when her winning design appeared on the road for the first time and hosting an assembly for the pupils.” 

Alongside the Design a Lorry competition, Aldi, Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s Get Set to Eat Fresh programme offers a series of teaching resources to educate children about nutrition and build their love and curiosity about healthy, sustainable food.

It can be accessed at www.getseteatfresh.co.uk. Schools and parents can sign up to use all the programme’s resources at https://getseteatfresh.co.uk/register. 

Aldi donates over 14,500 meals to Edinburgh and Lothian charities over summer

Aldi stores in Edinburgh and the Lothians donated 14,653 meals to families in need during the recent summer school holidays. 

All of its stores in Edinburgh and the Lothians supported local charities and foodbanks during a period of increased demand by redistributing surplus food via community giving platform Neighbourly. 

Since Aldi’s partnership with Neighbourly began in 2019, Aldi stores across the country have already donated more than 35 million meals – including over seven million meals so far this year.  

This summer, Aldi also gave every child in the UK a chance to try an Olympic or Paralympic sport for free as part of its ‘Get a Taste for Sport’ initiative, helping parents meet the cost of providing healthy activities during the summer holidays. 

Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, said: “The school holidays are always an incredibly hard time for households across the country, made even worse by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

“That’s why we committed to supporting even more families in Edinburgh and the Lothians this summer via our food donations scheme with Neighbourly, helping vital charities provide meals to those who need them most.” 

Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added: “Demand on charities and foodbanks in Edinburgh and the Lothians is incredibly high.

“This push in donations from Aldi was essential in helping so many families during the school holidays and we know how grateful the organisations were for the supermarket’s support.” 

Shoppers can also donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide. 

Britain’s fourth largest supermarket also works with Company Shop, the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products, to redistribute surplus food from its Regional Distribution Centres to Community Shops around the country.  

Aldi recruiting in Edinburgh

Aldi is currently looking to recruit over 20 new store colleagues across Edinburgh.  

In a welcome boost to the local economy, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket is looking for people of all levels of experience to fill roles at its stores across the region including Hermiston Gate, Gilmerton Road, Oxgangs, Commercial Street, and Portobello.  

This includes both full-time and part-time positions including Store Management Apprentice, Stock Assistant, and Store Assistant, all the way up to Deputy Managers.  

The recruitment push forms part of Aldi’s nationwide expansion drive, with the supermarket set to open an average of one new store a week across the UK between now and Christmas. 

Kelly Stokes, Recruitment Director at Aldi UK, said: “As we continue to invest in new stores, we’re looking for more colleagues to join our incredible teams across Edinburgh.   

“Working at Aldi means a great working environment and real opportunities to progress within the business and we look forward to welcoming even more people to be a part of our success in the future.” 

Starting pay for Store Assistants at Aldi is £11.40 per hour with the supermarket also paying for breaks.  

Those interested in applying for jobs can visit www.aldirecruitment.co.uk.   

Gorgie shopper scoops over £1000 for local foodbank in Aldi Supermarket Sweep

Aldi Scotland’s popular Supermarket Sweep challenge recently returned to Gorgie, and lucky local winner has raised £1,210.98 for a foodbank of their choosing, while picking up £605 in Aldi favourites for herself. 

Aldi’s popular gameshow inspired Supermarket Sweep arrived in Gorgie and lucky shopper Maryanne who was chosen as the winner of an in-store competition, took part in the five-minute trolley dash for charity on Sunday 9th of April.  

As well as taking home a trolley full of goodies, Maryanne successfully found the hidden inflatable in store, meaning Aldi Scotland doubled the total value of her haul and donated the lump sum to her nominated charity, The Salvation Army. 

Aldi Supermarket Sweep winner, Maryanne Fitzpatrick, said: “The Aldi supermarket sweep was an amazing experience, and I am glad the Salvation Army have received an amazing amount of money from it.” 

Elizabeth Young, Community Project Coordinator at The Salvation Army, said: “Over the past few months we have seen the need for our foodbank continuing to grow at an alarming rate.

“So much so, that on top of the very generous donations received from church members, members of the general public, schools, corporate groups and supermarket permanent collection points, we find ourselves having to spend hundreds of pounds nearly every week buying food to top up our food parcels.  

“So, you can imagine how pleased we were to hear that we had been selected to benefit from the supermarket sweep at the Gorgie branch of Aldi close to our foodbank. Then to our great surprise, we were informed that Aldi were going to double the amount of the trolley dash, resulting in a donation to us of £1,210! 

“I would like to thank Aldi for this very generous donation and to your customer who chose our foodbank to benefit from the donation. This will help us to continue giving out food parcels to those who are finding life difficult now and enable us to show a love and kindness to them.” 

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “We are proud that the Aldi Supermarket Sweep is a firm favourite across the country, and we are so pleased to bring it back this year.

“Congratulations to Maryanne who managed to raise an incredible £1,210.98 for The Salvation Army and snap up a whole load of Aldi treats for herself.”