Lidl reveals plans for further Italian expansion in 2019 | Progresiv
Discount giant Lidl plans to invest more than 350 million euros in 2019 in its Italian business. Its program involves the opening of over 40 stores and the hiring of 2,000 employees, maintaining a similar growth pace to 2018. Lidl currently operates around 620 stores in the market and recently named Massimiliano Silvestri as the new President of the business. 
The expansion announcement comes after Lidl announced a wider roll-out of its home delivery offer in partnership with online grocery platform Supermercato24. Initially, the service was launched in 11 stores in Milan and 10 stores of Rome, and has now been extended to five stores in Verona. The retailer plans to roll out the service in the cities of Bologna, Mantua, Forlì, Cesena, Modena, Pesaro Urbino, Ravenna and Rimini by the end of January 2019, enabling the shoppers to use this service seven days a week. The Supermercato24 platform provides 4000 SKUs from the Lidl assortment to choose from. (www.kantarretailiq.com)
