The UK arm of the supermarket announced a 17% fall in profits for the third consecutive year, despite a 13.5% leap in sales to £8.74bn. Aldi has experienced rapid growth in the UK, overtaking the Co-op this year to become the fifth largest chain. Chief executive of Aldi, Matthew Barnes had said Aldi would do “everything and anything” to keep its prices lower than bigger rivals such as Asda, indicating that profits might fall again next year.