Aldi Supplier Conference 2026
03 March 2026, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM GMT
The International Convention Centre, 8 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 2EAGrowing together with Aldi
Hear directly from Aldi's Leadership team, meet the Buying team and strengthen your partnership with the business.
Aldi will update you on their UK and global business, and share insight into their long-term strategy and investment plans, including exciting changes within their supply chain. As a supplier, you’ll learn more about Aldi’s ambition to make sustainability affordable for all, and how you can set yourself up for a successful future with Aldi.
This event is tailored towards Grocery, Chilled & Frozen, Produce & Horticulture, Health & Beauty, Household, Baby, Pet, Beverages and Bakery categories.
Please note non-food Specialbuys will not be included in the programme.
The headliners
Giles Hurley
Chief Executive Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland
Julie Ashfield
Chief Commercial Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland
Ruth Doyle
Chief Operating Officer – Supply Chain, Aldi UK and Ireland
Stephen Eivers
Managing Director of Buying, Aldi UK
Testimonials
08:00 - 09:30
Registration and networking
09:30 - 10:00
IGD welcome & economic update
James Walton will share his insight on the economic environment.
James Walton
Chief Economist , IGD
10:00 - 10:45
State of the nation
Giles and Julie will share a UK and global business performance update and provide insight into Aldi’s long-term strategy and targets.
Giles Hurley
Chief Executive Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland
Julie Ashfield
Chief Commercial Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland
10:45 - 11:30
Morning break and networking
11:30 - 11:45
Aldi’s ambition for supply chain
Ruth will outline Aldi’s supply chain vision and share insight into investments in infrastructure and technology.
Ruth Doyle
Chief Operating Officer – Supply Chain, Aldi UK and Ireland
11:45 - 12:15
The Aldi proposition
Julie and Stephen will bring Aldi’s UK strategy to life, translating the vision into actionable insight which meet the requirements of the Aldi shopper.
Julie Ashfield
Chief Commercial Officer, Aldi UK and Ireland
Stephen Eivers
Managing Director of Buying, Aldi UK
12.15 - 13:00
Aldi Q&A
13:00 - 14:00
Lunch and networking
14:00 - 15:00
Afternoon breakouts
Choose from 5 category breakouts, including:
Chilled & Frozen
Produce & Horticulture
Beverages
Health & Beauty, Household, Baby & Pet
Grocery & Bakery
Suppliers will spend the afternoon with their relevant Group Buying Directors (Commercial) to understand how the overarching strategy translates into their category. The sessions also include time for networking and engaging with experts on key topics.
15:00 - 16:00
Drinks reception and networking
Speakers
Julie Ashfield
Chief Commercial Officer
Aldi UK and Ireland
Julie joined Aldi in January 1999 as an Area Manager. She was promoted to the Buying Department in January 2003 as a Buying Director before progressing to the role of Group Buying Director role in April 2008. In 2017 Julie took on the role of Managing Director of Corporate Buying, before joining the newly formed National Board at Aldi as Chief Commercial Officer in January 2025.
Ruth Doyle
Chief Operating Officer – Supply Chain
Aldi UK and Ireland
Ruth joined Aldi in 2002 as an Area Manager, later serving as Store Operations Director, National HR Director, and Regional Managing Director for Bolton. In January 2025, she became Chief Operations Officer and now has responsibility for HR and National Supply Chain.
Stephen Eivers
Managing Director of Buying
Aldi UK
Stephen joined Aldi in 1997 as Area Manager in Manchester, later becoming Trading Director for Aldi Ireland. He held senior buying roles in the UK and Aldi USA before returning in 2010 to lead buying across grocery and non-food. For nine years, he has driven Aldi’s global customer strategy, covering e-commerce, marketing, CRM, and business change. He is now Managing Director for Buying, leading Aldi’s UK Buying Department.
Giles Hurley
Chief Executive Officer
Aldi UK and Ireland
Giles joined Aldi in 2000 as an Area Manager in Ireland. He became Trading Director in 2002, Group Buying Director in 2007, and Regional Managing Director for Aldi UK’s North-west region in 2010. After returning to Ireland in 2013 as Regional Managing Director, he was appointed Managing Director of Buying for the UK and Ireland in 2014, Group Managing Director in 2015, and CEO of Aldi UK and Ireland in 2018. Giles continues to lead Aldi UK and Ireland and heads up the recently formed National Board.
James Walton
Chief Economist
IGD
James, Chief Economist at IGD since 2004, helps businesses navigate strategic events like economic pressures, geopolitical change, and social developments. He has worked with clients across the grocery industry and beyond, including government, financial businesses, and NGOs. James joined IGD in 1999 and has held various roles. Before IGD, he worked at Hillsdown Holdings, Northern Foods, and Rank-Xerox.
Ticket prices
In-person | Live stream | |
Member | £500 | £250 |
Non-member | £750 | £350 |
*Small business | £275 | £200 |
What's included?
In-person | Live stream | |
Hear the latest strategic updates from the Aldi leadership team. | Yes | Yes |
Put your questions to the Aldi leadership team during a live and interactive Q&A. | Yes | Yes |
Hear an economic update and forecast from the IGD team.
| Yes | Yes |
Watch and replay selected presentations on-demand in your own time.
| Yes | Yes |
Access the virtual event platform for pre and post content on-demand. | Yes | Yes |
Have face to face conversations with the Aldi senior management team and make connections with the Aldi buyers and gain insight on the best way to work with them. | Yes | |
Advance access to the event app to enable you to plan your day and maximise your event experience. | Yes |
Tickets
Prices displayed ex-VAT. IGD reserves the right to alter any element of the programme, such as speakers, times and venue, should the need arise. All bookings are subject to your acceptance of IGD Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. This event is designed for current or potential suppliers and manufacturers of goods for sale in Aldi. Your identity data will be used by IGD and shared with Aldi for the purposes of administering the event. IGD and Aldi reserve the right to reject any order at their discretion. We may also use your identity data and contact data in the virtual platform/app for the event you are attending including: a) in a delegate list; and b) allowing other delegates to send you messages within the platform/app.
*Small Business Rate
As part of IGD’s commitment to help small businesses to grow, IGD is offering a small business rate for this event.
To qualify for a discounted rate you will need to be a small manufacturing business with a global turnover of less than £10 Million. Please note this is not your annual turnover with this retailer and is only available to manufacturing businesses. Place your order above and email your annual global turnover to [email protected], or get in touch if you have any questions.
Cancellation Fees
Cancellations to be confirmed in writing
Over 30 days notice - Full refund
15 - 30 days notice - 50% refund (or transferred to virtual ticket)
Less than 15 days notice - No refund/transfers
Please email [email protected]
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