Lidl to open 10 new stores before Christmas

Lidl is accelerating its national expansion with the opening of 10 new stores before Christmas.

From Berwick Green in Bristol to Bovey Tracey in Devon and Stirchley in Birmingham, the discounter will create around 400 new jobs.

In London alone, it is opening three new stores, including Hoxton, Forest Gate and Caterham.

The update comes after the discounter opened a new store in the seaside town of Worthing at the end of the summer, followed by the opening of its new Fulham store in September.

In addition to the new stores, Lidl will reopen three existing stores that have either been relocated or refurbished and extended, including Chessington, Connah’s Quay and Dagenham Heathway.

The news comes as Lidl exchanges on a sale and leaseback deal with a joint venture between Roadside Real Estate Plc and Meadow Partners worth £70m.

The deal includes 12 new stores in locations such as Crediton, Manchester, and Saffron Walden.

Richard Taylor, chief development officer at Lidl, said: “Our plan to open 10 new stores before Christmas demonstrates our continued commitment to providing more communities across the country with access to affordable, quality food, as well as employment opportunities.

“But we still have big ambitions for our expansion plans to open hundreds more Lidl stores in the future. Our teams are constantly scouring the country for new sites, identifying opportunities not just in towns where we don’t currently have stores, but also in areas where existing stores are experiencing increasing demand. Our sale and leaseback deal is just the latest example of how we’re continuing to expand our footprint across the country, ensuring that even more households can benefit from a Lidl store nearby.”