First look inside new-look Sunderland Aldi as branch reopens after refurbishment

Carley Hill Road Aldi in Sunderland reopened on Thursday after being transformed as part of Aldi’s £500 million investment into further improving its stores and services across the UK.

The store currently employs 28 members of staff – but the refurb led to five more roles.

Aldi revealed its new look after closing on January 15 with a ‘more customer-focused layout to allow customers to find products more easily’ it says.

The Aldi, located on Carley Hill Road has a number of covid safety measures in place, including sanitisation stations on entry, perspex screens at its tills and social distancing reminders remain in store.

The German owned brand also has a traffic light system to control the number of people going in and out of the store.

The new-look shop now has more space dedicated to meat and fish, health and beauty products, beers, wines and spirits and a new and improved Food to Go section.

Sunderland customers can also find bargain ‘Specialbuys’ in the middle aisle of the supermarket every Thursday and Sunday.

Aldi Store Manager Richard Smith said: “The store is looking fantastic, and we can’t wait to welcome our loyal customers back so they can see it for themselves.

"We’re committed to making sure that the shopping experience each customer enjoys in our stores is on a par with the products and services they’re used to.

“Customers will notice a few small changes throughout the store to align with social distancing guidelines, ensuring we keep our community safe, and we thank you for the co-operation in ensuring the safety of both our colleagues and customers.”

The opening comes after Aldi staff were told they will be given a pay rise this year in recognition of the “outstanding efforts” of its employees throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The supermarket currently has more than 36,000 staff in total across the UK, but is aiming to hire a further 4,000 shop workers this year.

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