AN ALDI supermarket can extend its opening and delivery hours.

The store, in Abergavenny, which opened on the site of a former Renault garage on Monmouth Road in 2012, was granted permission by Monmouthshire Council to open for an extra hour until 10pm between Monday and Saturday.

The low-cost food giant currently opens between 8am and 9pm between Monday and Saturday and then between 10am and 5pm on a Sunday.

But in response to greater demand for flexibility in opening and delivery hours at the store, the firm will now open until 10pm and be able to accept deliveries between 7am and 10pm.

Aldi said it is widely accepted that the trading hours of a foodstore are extended over time to reflect changes in customer preference and demand for greater flexibility in the hours for undertaking food shopping trips.

It believes the extra hour will fit better with modern lifestyles and people’s varying working hours and will help it meet demand in a competitive market.

The supermarket chain said the increase will not cause any “unacceptable harm to the local area”.

Aldi claims the sheer volume of stock that the store handles means that it needs to be as efficient as possible at restocking when the store is at its quietest.

The current permit for delivery hours does not allow delivery vehicles from arriving outside of opening hours. Extending the hours from 9pm to 10pm will therefore allow for deliveries to be carried out while the store is closed and the customer car park empty.

In a separate application, the supermarket has applied for planning permission to extend its car park by 20 spaces to cope with its busiest times. This would bring the total number of spaces to 91. This has yet to be considered by Monmouthshire council.