A supermarket giant reopened today after a 10-month refurbishment.

Aldi’s 20-year-old Sittingbourne store has been shut for two months while it underwent a long-awaited makeover.

The new format sees fresh bread and cakes moved to the last aisle, aimed at preventing them from getting squashed under customers’ shopping.

Aldi says it will make shopping “even easier” for customers as the store is larger and has clearer signs.

Store manager Radu Olaeru and 36 other staff are running the new-look shop.

He said: “The team and I are really looking forward to welcoming back some familiar faces as well as new customers and supplying our local community with the everyday amazing products we have available.

“Hopefully the new-look store will make shopping at Aldi Sittingbourne that bit easier and more comfortable.”

Work started in East Street before the closure, with the former Swale Martial Arts Club building next door being knocked down to make way for the expansion in June.

Builders have extended the revamped shop floor by 20 metres and added an extra 27 car parking spaces – taking the total from 75 to 102.

The new-look shop was reopened at 8am by the Mayor of Swale, Cllr Ben Martin.

Aldi has wanted to make changes to the site for more than five years, with plans first being lodged in August 2018.

Planning permission had been granted by Swale council twice, in December 2018 and March 2023.

But bosses said they wanted their £9 million store in Neat Court, Queenborough, to open first so local shoppers would have an alternative during construction. That site opened in July.

The German giant put its expansion plans back on the table in November last year, and were approved by Swale in May of that year.

KentOnline asked Aldi how much the expansion has cost and how many new roles it will generate but it declined to comment.