SPAIN: Lidl to invest a record 200 million euros in Spain | Progresiv
Lidl Supermarkets aims to boost its growth in Spain this year with an investment of over 200 million euros, the highest annual budget for the German chain in Spain in the twenty years it has been present in this market. 
Much of this investment will go to the opening of 40 new stores, which is twice as many openings as in 2014. In fact, so far this year, the chain has already opened 8 new supermarkets, bringing the total number of stores to 530, nine logistics platforms (Valencia, Vitoria, Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, A Coruña, Malaga, Murcia and Tenerife) and already has a workforce of over 10,000 people.
In addition to the openings, the chain will continue with the expansion and refurbishment of its oldest stores to adapt them to the company's new image, and it will also expand the product range, especially when it comes to fresh products.
One of Lidl's most important investments in 2015 will be the construction of what will be the 10th logistics platform in Spain, in Alcala de Henares, which will be its largest logistics centre in Europe and the most sustainable and technologically advanced, incorporating, for example, automated storage systems. The company will invest over 70 million Euro in these new facilities, which will have more than 71,800 square metres.
The launch of this new infrastructure is planned in two stages; the first one will be operational in the summer of 2016 and the second in late 2017. When running at full capacity it will create 275 jobs. The Expansion and Property General Director of Lidl Spain, Javier Suárez, said that the company already invested a total of 190 million Euro in 2014, which entails a cumulative investment since 2008 of more than one billion euros. (www.freshplaza.com)
