German-owned discount retailer Aldi said Monday it will create 35,000 jobs in Britain by 2022, more than doubling its workforce and store network to meet booming demand.
The company will invest £600 million ($953 million, 765 million euros) over the next eight years, it said in a statement, as discounters like Aldi and its German rival Lidl continue to win customers in Britain from traditional supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrisons.
Aldi announced the news in the presence of Prime Minister David Cameron and finance minister George Osborne at the group's British headquarters in Atherstone, Warwickshire, in central England.
"The Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer today welcomed plans from Aldi to create 35,000 new jobs over the next eight years as it strives to grow store numbers to 1,000 by 2022," it said in the statement.
"The investment will see Aldi more than double its employee numbers in the UK as it opens over 550 new stores between now and 2022."
Discount chains boomed in Britain during the sharp economic downturn as consumers tightened their belts to save cash, and remain popular despite the economy's steady recovery this year.
The new jobs at Aldi will be in a range of roles, both in stores and within the group's offices and regional distribution centres.
"Aldi's plans to create tens of thousands more jobs across the country are a vote of confidence in our long-term economic plan to back business, create more jobs and secure a brighter future for Britain," added Cameron.