ALDI is targeting Wilmslow, Northwich and Middlewich as it looks for new store locations in Cheshire towns.

The UK’s fifth largest supermarket has been on an expansion drive in recent years as it targets having 1,200 stores open by 2025.

Aldi has more than 880 stores across the UK, and has identified 23 new locations where it is looking for freehold town centre or edge-of-centre sites which are suitable for development.

These include Handforth, Wilmslow, Cuddington, Davenham, Middlewich and Northwich South.

Aldi says each site should be around 1.5 acres and able to accommodate a 20,000 sqft store with around 100 parking spaces, ideally on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access.

Ciaran Aldridge, national property director at Aldi UK, said: “Aldi is growing rapidly, and we are welcoming around a million new customers into our stores every year.

“But there are also hundreds of towns across the UK where there is not an Aldi, meaning there are hundreds of thousands of people who can’t easily access the high quality, affordable food our customers love.

“We are willing to explore all opportunities, including developer-led schemes or existing retail units.”