Discount retailer Aldi has confirmed plans to open a new store in East Renfrewshire.

The German firm is currently looking for a site in Clarkston as part of a £1.3billion investment to add 100 branches to its UK portfolio over the next two years.

The massive expansion will also see a new store being opened in Darnley.

Aldi, which already has almost 1,000 outlets across the UK, including one in Newton Mearns, is searching for freehold town centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for property development.

Bosses said they are on the lookout for sites that are big enough to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store and around 100 dedicated parking spaces, preferably on a prominent main road and with good access.

Additionally, Aldi will be investing in the development of new and expanded distribution centres.

Richard Thornton, communications director at Aldi UK, told the Barrhead News: “We’re continuing to gain even more customers, with over 60 per cent of UK households shopping with Aldi in the last year.

“Our focus is on expanding our store estate, making sure Aldi is accessible to as many of these new shoppers across the country as possible.

"Looking ahead, we are excited to provide millions of new customers with access to Aldi’s award-winning quality and unbeatable value as we create even more places and more ways to shop with us.”

Other locations in Scotland set to benefit from new stores include the Cathcart, Bishopbriggs, Maryhill and Port Dundas areas of Glasgow, as well as Dumbarton, Gourock, Largs, Blantyre, Stepps, Edinburgh, Dunblane, Peebles and Stonehaven.