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Aldi has reached a significant milestone in Spain with the opening of its 500th store, choosing the Málaga municipality of Mijas to mark the occasion on Wednesday March 4.

 

The new supermarket is more than just a symbolic number for the German-owned chain. Company representatives say it highlights the importance of Andalucía as a key region for Aldi’s continued expansion in Spain.

 

Currently, Aldi operates 113 stores across Andalucía, including 33 in Málaga province, making it the region with the group’s largest presence in the country. The area also accounts for around 30% of the company’s total retail space in the region.

 

“The intention is to closely monitor Málaga and continue growing in terms of both employment and the number of stores,” said Silvia Segarra, Aldi Spain’s director of communication and institutional relations, speaking after the inauguration.

 

The company plans to open seven new stores in Andalucía during 2026, creating approximately 150 new jobs. Across Spain as a whole, Aldi expects to open around 40 stores this year as it expands further into areas such as Madrid, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and the Basque Country.

 

The growth strategy is supported by a strengthened logistics network. Aldi’s expanded distribution centre in Dos Hermanas, near Seville, now covers almost all stores in Andalucía and also supplies Extremadura. The platform works alongside other Mediterranean logistics centres in San Isidro (Alicante) and Sagunto (Valencia) to maintain supply across southern and eastern Spain.

 

Segarra explained that any increase in store numbers requires stronger logistics support. “What we do is invest everything necessary to meet this growth objective and to be close to Spanish households, and above all we invest in job creation and process improvement,” she said.

 

Alongside store expansion, Aldi has also been steadily increasing its market share. According to company figures, the chain closed 2025 with a 1.9% share of the Spanish grocery market but says that has now risen to 2.1%. During the past year alone, the company attracted around 400,000 new shoppers and now counts more than eight million households among its customers.

 

In Andalucía specifically, 46.5% of households shop at Aldi, reflecting how consumer habits have shifted after the recent period of food price inflation.

 

Segarra said many shoppers initially turned to cheaper alternatives during the inflation surge, but that behaviour now appears to be long term. “Customers are not abandoning categories altogether. They are choosing the establishment that allows them to maintain their consumption patterns with less expenditure,” she said.

 

The company says its prices are around 13% below the industry average, with potential savings of up to €40 per week per household.

 

This steady rise in shoppers reflects the wider shift seen across Spain, where discount chains such as Aldi have been gaining ground as consumers increasingly move away from expensive big-name brands in search of better value.

 

And the brand’s popularity among Spanish consumers has also been recognised before. Last autumn, Spanish shoppers voted Aldi as supermarket of the year in a national survey, highlighting the chain’s growing reputation for value and consistency.

 

With its 500th store now open and further expansion planned, Aldi is clearly signalling that Andalucía will remain central to its ambitions as it continues to push for a larger share of Spain’s supermarket market.

 

 

Image: wikicommons