ALDI has announced it is on the lookout for 22 new store locations in Devon.

The UK’s fifth largest supermarket has been on an expansion drive in recent years, opening around one new store a week on average to meet demand from new customers.

The areas in Devon where it is now looking for sites include Axminster, Barnstaple and Braunton.

It is also targeting in Devon: Brixham, Crediton, Dawlish, Exeter, Exmouth, Ilfracombe, Ivybridge, Kingsbridge, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Plymouth, Plymstock, Seaton, Sidmouth, Tavistock, Teignmouth, Tiverton, Torquay and Totnes.

Aldi, which now has more than 900 stores across the UK, is looking for freehold town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for development.

It says each site should be around 1.5 acres and able to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with around 100 parking spaces, ideally on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access. 

Ciaran Aldridge, National Property Director at Aldi UK, said: “We have been investing in Britain for more than 30 years now, but we know that there are still areas that either do not have an Aldi at all, or that need another store to meet customer demand.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking to get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality. That’s why, more so than ever, we’re keen to explore all opportunities to open new stores across the country.”