News
Lidl to create 400 jobs with 10 store openings before Xmas
The retailer – which has 960 stores and 14 distribution centres across England, Scotland and Wales – said that the new locations will allow it reach thousands more households and create around 400 new job opportunities for local people.
Three of the new stores will be in London, where Lidl is now the third largest supermarket, while openings in Bristol, Devon and Birmingham are also included in the plans.
In addition to the new stores, three existing shops that have either been relocated or refurbished and extended will reopen.
Commenting on the announcement, Richard Taylor, chief development officer at Lidl GB, said: “Our plan to open 10 new stores before Christmas demonstrates our continued commitment to providing more communities across the country with access to affordable, quality food, as well as employment opportunities.”
£70m real estate deal
On top of the 10 new stores, Lidl revealed that it has exchanged on a sale and leaseback deal with a joint venture between Roadside Real Estate and Meadow Partners worth £70m.
The transaction includes 12 new stores in locations such as Crediton, Manchester and Saffron Walden, although no future opening date was disclosed.
On the topic of the retailer’s expansion plans, Taylor said that Lidl still hoped to open hundreds of new stores moving forward.
“Our teams are constantly scouring the country for new sites, identifying opportunities not just in towns where we don’t currently have stores, but also in areas where existing stores are experiencing increasing demand,” he added.
“Our sale and leaseback deal is just the latest example of how we’re continuing to expand our footprint across the country, ensuring that even more households can benefit from a Lidl store nearby.”
In other news, Food Manufacture has published its latest food and drink trends report, summarising all the hottest topics from 2024 with insight from a slew of industry figures.
