DISCOUNT supermarket has announced it is looking at opening 13 new stores in Somerset.

Among the locations the company is looking at is Taunton, where there is already an Aldi supermarket in Bathpool.

Other towns under consideration include Wellington, Chard and Weston-super-Mare.

Aldi, the UK's fifth largest supermarket, has been on an expansion drive in recent years, opening an average of one new store a week in a bid to lure more customers from its competitors.

The company, which more than 900 stores across the country, is looking for freehold town centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for development.

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

Ciaran Aldridge, Aldi UK's national property director, said: “We have been investing in Britain for more than 30 years now, but we know that there are still areas that either do not have an Aldi at all, or that need another store to meet customer demand.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking to get unbeatable prices on their weekly shop without compromising on quality.

"That’s why, more so than ever, we’re keen to explore all opportunities to open new stores across the country.”

The full list of locations it is targeting in Somerset are:

  • Chard;
  • Cheddar;
  • Keynsham;
  • Nailsea;
  • Taunton;
  • Wellington;
  • Wells;
  • Weston-super-Mare;
  • Bath;
  • Frome;
  • Midsomer Norton;
  • Wincanton;
  • Yeovil.

Aldi already has several stores in the county, including in Taunton, Bridgwater, Highbridge, Glastonbury, Yeovil, Shepton Mallet, Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon.