Lidl heads for Hampstead: Discounter eyes London sites in major expansion plan
Lidl is plotting an expansion into well-heeled districts including Hampstead and Knightsbridge as part of a plan to increase store numbers in the capital.
The German discount retailer plans to have 1,000 stores in its portfolio by the end of 2023, with the supermarket eyeing areas in town centres, edge of town centre locations, retail parks and metropolitan locations for expansion.
A total of 237 London areas have been tapped by Lidl for possible expansion, including Balham, Battersea, Chelsea, Clapham, Dulwich, Earl’s Court and Fulham.
The discount retailer said it is hoping to do deals with landowners and freeholders who are interested in partnering with Lidl.
50 stores this year
The supermarket will open 50 new stores this year, creating some 2,000 jobs in the process.
It now has 860 stores in England, Scotland and Wales, and said it is “on track” to reach its 1,000 stores target by 2023.
So far this year it has opened 20 new stores across the country.
Lidl GB CEO Christian Härtnagel said: “We are calling on developers and landlords up and down the country to help find potential sites for us to build Lidl stores, which demonstrates the continued ambition we have to further expand our store portfolio across the nation.
“Despite the challenges of the past year, we still managed to meet our ambitious target of opening, on average, one new store per week across Great Britain.”
All new stores will feature Lidl’s bakery and solar panels on the exterior to provide renewable energy for the site.
Sites will also provide electric vehicle charging points.