Aldi: Opening date delay for new Preston store

Work is well underway on the new double unit off Portway which used to house the Trident building.

Click here to see pictures of how the work is progressing

One half will house an Aldi outlet and the other an unnamed discount retailer – creating up to 100 full-time equivalent jobs between them.

When permission was first given last year, Aldi said they hoped to open the new supermarket by the end of 2023.

New timeframe

However, there has now been an update – and it won’t thrill customers.

An Aldi spokesperson told the Post: “Construction for our new Preston store is progressing well as we move towards opening in mid-2024. This will create up to 40 jobs for the community and enable local people to shop and save closer to home.”

No explanation has been given for the change in time scale.

What used to be on the site?

The Trident building on Portway - at the rear of the KFC restaurant - was the headquarters and call centre of holiday company NetFlights.com, part of the Gold Medal Travel Group.

It stood empty since the firm moved out to new premises in May 2019 and had been targeted by vandals.

Location

Aldi said they had been searching for a suitable home at Preston Docks for around five years. When open, it will stand just 500 yards away from it’s close competitor Lidl, which has a store in Strand Road.

The new double unit will have around 250 car parking spaces, and will be accessed from an existing entry point on Port Way, with a second one to be added directly off Channel Way.