Aldi has said it will create 1,200 new jobs across the UK during the rest of this year as it continues with plans to open a raft of new stores.

The German discount supermarket business said it plans to open an average of one new store each week between now and Christmas.

The retailer, which currently has more than 890 stores and around 35,000 UK staff, said it has already created 2,800 new permanent jobs this year after grocery sales surged in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

It said it now plans to create more than 1,200 extra roles as it expands its store estate.

Aldi said it will open new stores in Sandhurst, Bristol and Edinburgh this year as it continues towards it target of operating 1,200 stores by 2025.

The supermarket chain saw sales increase by 13% over the 12 weeks to July 12, according to figures from Kantar.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer of Aldi UK, said: “As much as the disruption of the past few months has been challenging, it has also reminded us that there are still hundreds of towns across the UK where shoppers don’t have access to Aldi’s award-winning quality products and unbeatable prices.

“I’ve been very proud of the tireless work my colleagues have put into feeding the nation.

“To continue doing this and meet our goals of making Aldi accessible to even more shoppers, we will need thousands more amazing colleagues across the country.

“I look forward to welcoming each and every one of them to the team.”