Aldi confirms plans to move into West Kirby

Feb 4 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

BUDGET supermarket Aldi says it has finally found a new site for its latest West Wirral store.

Rumours have been circulating in West Kirby for some time that the discount supermarket wanted to locate in the town.

Now Mark Hewlett, property director for Aldi Stores, said they now want people in West Kirby “to know what is happening”.

The budget supermarket company has options from the four owners of land on Bridge Road to buy their property.

This includes the former cinema, a garage, and West Kirby’s only petrol station – although it is expected that this will relocate to elsewhere within the town.

Plans have not yet been submitted to the council for the new Aldi store, although discussions have been going on behind the scenes and Aldi is optimistic.

Mr Hewlett said the company helps to generate business in areas where it locates its stores, and the new store would be close to West Kirby’s existing shopping area.

He said: “We do not kill off town centres.

“We don’t sell cigarettes or small confectionery items.

“We don’t have in-store butchers or bakers and so on.”

Mr Hewlett said: “The demographics in West Kirby are very good. It has an affluent population and that population is growing. There are a lot of young families moving into the area. There is provision for us to move in and do reasonably well.”

The design of the store being developed at this stage is around 1,000 square metres, typical of Aldi stores, and around a quarter of the size of most of the competitor super- markets, with 70 parking spaces.

The current plans being prepared for submission to Wirral Council are expected to be submitted within weeks, and the company says it plans to carry out consultation in the area.

liammurphy