LIDL TO OPEN ONE NEW STORE PER WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, CREATING UP TO 1,000 JOBS

• The discounter plans to open over 25 stores in the next six months, amounting to one per week
• Lidl will create up to 1,000 jobs by the end of 2020
• An additional 100 stores will open across 2021 and 2022, creating around 4,000 new jobs
• Lidl colleagues are among the highest paid in the industry

14 July 2020: Lidl GB today announces that it will be opening one store per week in the next six months, creating up to 1,000 new jobs by the end of 2020. These 25 new stores will be opening across regions including England, Scotland and Wales.

In addition, Lidl’s £1.3bn investment plans for 2021 and 2022 will drive the opening of 100 additional stores across Great Britain, creating around 4,000 jobs for the British economy. By the end of 2023, Lidl aims to have 1,000 stores in Great Britain.

The discounter is committed to fulfilling its ambitious store opening programme, despite disruption to construction amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the coming weeks Lidl will open stores in Selhurst, Harrow Weald, Coleford and Llandudno Junction bringing Lidl quality and Lidl prices to over 25 more communities.

Lidl GB Chief Executive Officer Christian Härtnagel said: “It is testament to the continued hard work of our colleagues that we are able to continue forging ahead with our expansion plans, despite the challenging circumstances that have been faced over the past months. I am incredibly grateful to all Lidl teams for their unwavering commitment to keeping the nation fed, and we very much look forward to welcoming more people into the Lidl family in the weeks and months ahead”.

“Families up and down the country rely on Lidl for affordable, high quality groceries. With the pandemic affecting household finances, our mission to offer value to as many people as possible is more important than ever and is why we remain committed to our store opening programme. With new Lidl stores opening every month, we are offering more communities the opportunity to shop for our great quality products at Lidl prices.”

The announcement follows the publication of Lidl’s site requirements brochure, detailing all the areas it is looking at for new stores across Great Britain, which includes locations such as Winchester, Didsbury and Cardiff City Centre.

It also follows the opening of new stores throughout the pandemic in locations such as Birmingham, Torquay and across London, ensuring that communities could continue to access vital supplies. The supermarket also created over 2,500 temporary jobs, to support existing teams with their efforts.

Colleagues working at the new stores will benefit from Lidl’s competitive pay, with a minimum of £9.30 per hour outside of London and £10.75 within the M25, which is higher than the Government’s “National Living Wage“, and is one of the highest pay rates in the supermarket sector.

Notes to Editors

About Lidl GB:

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl has experienced continuous growth and today has over 25,000 employees, 800 stores and 13 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s leading organisations in the food retail industry. With a presence in 32 countries around the world, the supermarket, which has more than 287,000 employees globally, currently operates approximately 10,800 stores and more than 160 distribution centres in 29 countries globally. The family supermarket takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the core of the company’s daily operations, with the company placing a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society and the environment. Lidl GB is passionate about working with British producers and sources two thirds of its products from British suppliers.

The Schwarz Group (Kaufland, Lidl) has been Europe’s largest food retailer since 2014 and generated a turnover of €104.3 billion in financial year 2018.