Lidl: Big on expansion with plans to open over 200 more stores across London
Lidl said it was planning to open a further 200 stores across London as soaring food costs continued to drive demand for discount supermarkets.
This morning Lidl released its list of priority locations for new stores across London and the wider UK, with some 247 locations across the capital highlighted as potential sites.
Lidl, which already has 120 stores across London, said that alongside standalone stores it was also looking to open sites in shopping centres and retail parks.
Richard Taylor, chief development officer at Lidl GB, said: “Our vision is to have over 1,100 stores in the future, but really there’s no ceiling on our ambition or growth potential. What’s important is that we take a strategic and sustainable approach to getting there.”
As the cost of food and everyday goods has continued to soar, the demand for value grocery stores has increased.
Just last month, Lidl was named as the fastest growing supermarket in the UK, as it welcomed over 1.4 million new customers from rival supermarkets in search of the best value products.
Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, said:“The last few years have been challenging for everyone, but we’ve made it clear that we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that every single household has access to a Lidl store.
“That’s why our focus is firmly on the future as we continue to grow and invest in our infrastructure, while keeping a lookout for more sites and locations across the country.”
He added: “We had over 1.4 million new shoppers coming to us from our competitors over the course of last year.
“This alone shows the potential for continued growth as customers refuse to pay a premium for their shopping, when they know they can get the same, if not better quality at Lidl.”
Lidl versus Tesco
Earlier this month Lidl won a trademark lawsuit against Tesco at London’s High Court over the use of a yellow circle on a square blue background.
Lidl sued Tesco in 2020 shortly after Tesco adopted a yellow circle against a blue background to promote its “Tesco Clubcard Prices” discount scheme.
Tesco later said it intended to appeal against the ruling.