Aldi is planning to cut up to 150 jobs at its UK head office, extending a restructuring drive at the discount supermarket that has already swept through its finance, administration and buying operations.
The German-owned retailer is consulting staff in its technology team over the proposed redundancies, according to the Guardian, as it seeks to simplify its UK business and reduce operating costs.
The latest cuts would add to about 103 redundancies across finance and administration earlier this year. Almost 20 buying director positions have also been eliminated, marking a significant reshaping of the teams responsible for managing the supermarket’s commercial operations.
The proposals are not expected to affect jobs in Aldi’s shops, which remain central to its expansion ambitions. The chain operates more than 1,000 stores across the UK and Ireland and is the country’s fourth-largest grocer, according to the latest Worldpanel by Numerator data.
Aldi has previously set its sights on reaching 1,500 UK stores, targeting communities where it believes shoppers lack access to affordable groceries. The contrast between that growth ambition and the continuing reductions in head office roles highlights the pressure on retailers to expand their physical footprint while keeping central costs under control.
The company has also reportedly been moving some administrative and finance work to lower-cost providers in Eastern Europe and India, following the start of its head office restructuring last year.
An Aldi spokesperson said the group was continually reviewing its operations to ensure it worked “simply, efficiently” and used its international scale to maintain low prices.
“We are therefore making some adjustments to the way parts of our UK business are structured,” the spokesperson said, adding that changes were being introduced gradually and after consultation.
The company said affected employees would receive as much notice as possible and have access to support.
The latest proposals underline how the battle to offer low prices is increasingly being fought beyond supermarket shelves, with retailers looking to streamline the corporate structures supporting their stores.
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