Aldi’s discount store network in Australia delivered a profit of AUD72.6m (£39.19m) last year, on total Australian sales of AUD1.85bn (£998.6m).

Aldi, which entered Australia in January 2001 and recently opened its 200th store there, has been profitable for the past three years. ”We have strong expansion plans for Australia and we are growing by at least 25 new stores a year along the East Coast,” said an Aldi spokesperson.

The retailer plans to open a further two warehouse and distribution centres, costing AUD150m (£81m) each, to support its growth.