Lidl outlines UK and Belgium expansion plans | Progresiv
Lidl has recently opened its 800th store in the UK and outlined plans to spend 1.3 billion pounds over the next few years as part of its drive to reach 1,000 outlets by the end of 2023, according to Kamcity. 
The discounter has opened 50 new stores in the past 12 months. However, at the end of 2019 it was revealed that Lidl wanted to accelerate its expansion programme to hit its 1,000-store target.
The company is reaching the 800-store milestone just over 25 years after entering the UK. A further six outlets will open next week.
Lidl has already opened 16 new stores across January and February. It recently opened its 100th store in Scotland and is slated to open its 100th in London this year.
Lidl stated that it was committed to investing 1.3 billion pounds in its store expansion over 2021 and 2022. This follows the bolstering of its logistics capabilities, which has included the opening and expansion of six warehouses over the last four years to support its growing store chain.
Lidl’s UK Chief Executive Christian Härtnagel said: “We’re excited to have reached this milestone, which simply means that we’re bringing affordable, high-quality food to even more households across Britain … We’re looking forward to opening our doors to even more communities this year and into this new decade where we see so much potential for further growth.”
Key rival Aldi now operates more than 875 outlets across the UK with it on track to have 1,200 by 2025.
In a different development, German discount chain Lidl has announced that it aims to open new supermarkets in Belgium, where it has a market share of almost 10%, and is seeking 500 more employees.
Lidl currently has 305 stores in Belgium and plans to increase that number to 311 by the end of the year. Six supermarkets now being demolished will be rebuilt at the same site, while 11 others will each be replaced by a completely new store on another spot, generally in the same area.
“We still have many older supermarkets; our new ones are up to thrice as big,” Lidl Spokesperson Isabelle Colbrandt said. “The standard size is 1,330 square metres, whereas 40 to 50 stores have a surface area of less than 900 square metres.”
Lidl succeeded in attracting more customers even though the market experienced a downturn last year. Its market share went from 8.5% in December 2018 to 9.3% at the end of 2019, which Lidl described as “significant growth in a downward market.” Sales also went up, the chain said, without releasing any figures. “We are growing at all levels,”
The company plans to open more department stores in years to come “at a similar speed as in 2020.”
Lidl employs about 10,000 persons in Belgium. The 500 new employees it plans to recruit will fill already vacant posts. (www.brusselstimes.com)
