Lidl Outlines Expansion Plan to Hit 1,000 Stores Target in Great Britain
Lidl has revealed that it will be opening one store per week in the UK over the next six months, creating up to 1,000 new jobs by the end of the year. The 25 new stores will be opening across England, Scotland and Wales.
The discounter also plans to open a further 100 outlets in 2021 and 2022 as part of a £1.3bn investment. It aims to have 1,000 stores operating in Great Britain by the end of 2023, writes Kamcity.
Lidl revealed that it has faced disruption to store construction during the coronavirus pandemic, but said it was committed to fulfilling its opening programme. In the coming weeks, the retailer will open several stores.
- It is an evidence the continued hard work of our colleagues that we can continue forging ahead with our expansion plans, despite the challenging circumstances that have been faced over the past months.
- I am incredibly grateful to all Lidl teams for their unwavering commitment to keeping the nation fed, and we very much look forward to welcoming more people into the Lidl family in the weeks and months ahead.
The announcement follows the publication of Lidl’s site requirements brochure, which gives information on the areas it is seeking sites for new stores. These include places like Winchester, Didsbury and Cardiff City Centre.
Lidl has also been opening stores during the pandemic in Birmingham, Torquay and London. In addition, it has created over 2,500 temporary jobs to support existing teams.
Low cost wins
It almost seems to be a universal trend that low prices are gaining market share.
The German "Aldi model" has developed a lot since Odd Reitan and Stein Erik Hagen traveled to Germany completely independently to study the German phenomenon in the early eighties.
At the time, analysts predicted that low prices could take up 10 percent of the market in Norway. Today, the proportion is 60 percent and rising in Norway
Sources: Kamcity, Lidl UK, RetailWeek