Aldi shoppers warned as supermarket to close doors early in UK stores

Aldi shoppers are being urged to check their local store's opening hours after the budget supermarket began trialling earlier closing times at selected branches across the UK.

Under the trial, participating stores will close at 9pm instead of the usual 10pm from Monday to Saturday, while Sunday opening hours will remain unchanged.

The move forms part of Aldi's efforts to reduce operating costs while continuing to offer customers low prices.

The supermarket has not confirmed which branches are taking part in the trial, although notices have begun appearing in affected stores informing shoppers of the changes.

Customers who regularly visit Aldi later in the evening may need to adjust their shopping plans if their local branch is included in the trial.

Around 48 of Aldi's 1,084 UK stores already close at 9pm, with additional branches expected to adopt the earlier closing time during July.

One member of staff at the Heanor branch in Derbyshire announced the change on Facebook, writing: "Please be aware that as of Monday, July 13, Aldi Heanor will be closing at 9pm instead of 10pm Monday-Saturday with no change on a Sunday, this will be on a trial basis to begin with but will likely be the new permanent opening hours thereafter."

Another employee said their West Midlands branch would begin closing at 9pm from July 16.

Aldi has not published a full list of participating stores but has confirmed that customers visiting affected branches will see notices explaining the revised opening hours.

A spokesman said: "As the UK's cheapest supermarket, our commitment to customers is that they will always pay the lowest possible prices every time they shop with us.

"Our efficient business model means that we are always looking for new ways to pass on even greater savings to Aldi shoppers."

Aldi said the trial is designed to better reflect customer shopping patterns, adding that the vast majority of its stores will continue to operate under their existing opening hours.

The supermarket also confirmed it will review customer feedback before deciding whether the earlier closing times should be introduced at more locations.

The trial comes as Britain's fourth-largest supermarket continues to expand despite pressure on profitability.

Aldi reported revenue of £18.1billion for the year to December 2024, while its share of the UK grocery market increased to 10.8 per cent.

Operating profits fell from £552.9million in 2023 to £435.5million, with the retailer attributing the decline to continued investment in lower prices, new stores and higher staff wages.

Despite the reduction in profits, Aldi has confirmed plans to continue investing in its UK operations.

The supermarket has committed £1.6billion over two years to open 80 new stores during 2026 and 2027, refurbish existing branches and strengthen its distribution network.

Aldi's long-term ambition remains to expand its UK estate to 1,500 stores, up from its current total of 1,084.