Here's what is happening at Aldi's store in Camelon

Work is underway to expand discount supermarket Aldi’s store in Camelon.
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It will also see electric vehicle charging points and a ‘reverse vending machine’ for recycling installed.

The supermarket in Redbrae Road had previously been granted planning permission to extend its floorspace by an additional 400 square metres.

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Store bosses previously said the work was due to Aldi’s ongoing commitment and investment in Scotland and that the work would improve the shopping experience.

Work is underway at Aldi's store in CamelonWork is underway at Aldi's store in Camelon
Work is underway at Aldi's store in Camelon

While the extension is being built, the store will also be refurbished and the space devoted to displaying alcohol in the store would be increased substantially to 39 cubic metres.

When the store applied to Falkirk Council’s licensing board for the go-ahead, members were told that the percentage of the store displaying alcohol was actually decreasing very slightly from 5.4 per cent to 5.1 per cent.

Philip Johnston, Aldi manager, reassured members that this would not mean a rapid increase in lines stocked or the amount sold, but would simply give them more space for what they already stock.

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He said: “Every Aldi in Scotland sells an identical range – we don’t vary it because of store size.

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“The application is not to sell a larger number of lines, it is is actually to accommodate the same number of lines we are already selling in existing premises.

“In Scotland we stock the same core alcohol lines but we also invest in local produce – particularly gin, whisky and beers that we showcase at times throughout the year – and while we can get the product on to the shelves, it is incredibly tight.”

This lack of space, he added, was also a problem at Christmas when people were more likely to be buying large multi-pack cases of beer than small packs.

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He explained: “We can get the lines in but we might only get four cases onto the shelves, so our staff end up having to replenish the lines 20 times a day.

Outside the shop, Aldi also plans to add electric vehicle charging points as well as parking for bikes.

And there will also be space for a ‘reverse vending machine’, where people can return empty bottles and cans to be recycled.

This is to be ready for the Scottish Government’s Bottle Return Scheme, which will see customers pay a small deposit for bottles or cans, which they get back when they return the containers.

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Aldi’s reverse vending machine will be in the carpark, which the grocer says will be the most convenient location for customers.

Before any of the work was allowed to go ahead, Aldi had to complete a contaminated land survey.

People living in houses nearby, on Glasgow Road, will still be allowed to park in the car park, continuing a previous planning condition that was set when the store first opened.

At the end of last year, Aldi unveiled plans to invest £24 million and create hundreds of new jobs in Scotland next year as part of its continued expansion throughout the country.

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