Aldi is hoping to continue its expansion into more upmarket locations with a new store in Ripon, North Yorkshire.
The discounter is expecting a decision from Harrogate Borough Council in June on its planning application for a 10,000 sq ft store, which would potentially create 10 to 15 jobs and open early next year.
Over the past year, it has focused store openings on affluent areas including Knutsford, Lytham St Annes and Bishop’s Stortford over as it tries to ramp up its middle-class appeal.
“Aldi customers are coming from an increasing demographic range and prior to the Christmas 2013 trading period, 21.9% of customers were of AB profiles, rising to 23.8% during Christmas,” said an Aldi spokesman.
The Borough of Harrogate, which includes Ripon, is traditionally made up of independent shops with 65% of locals in the AB and C1 customer category.
However, in Harrogate itself, locals haven’t always welcomed supermarkets. Tesco is set open a superstore on Harrogate’s Skipton Road in 2016 but the controversial store had divided locals - plans were first submitted in 2004.
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