BUDGET retailer Lidl has confirmed it plans to add 60 new shops a year in ambitious £1.5 billion UK expansion plan.
At a time of intense change for the grocery sector, the German-owned retailer is currently UK’s fastest-growing supermarket, increasing its market share to more than 5 per cent.
Its new UK chief Christian Härtnagel, who cut his teeth running running Lidl’s Irish division in Charleville in County Cork for the last three years, insists the supermarket is entering a unique new phase in its growth.
Lidl currently operates 670 stores across the British Isles - hundreds fewer than its main rivals like Tesco and Sainsbury - and he has revealed that he is aggressively stepping up expansion with a plan to roll-out “at least one shop a week”.
He says Lidl has already agreed sites to add between 50 to 60 shops a year for the next two years, compared to the 30 opened last year, and the investment will be at least £1.45 billion between now and 2019.
“That is the fastest we have ever grown in the UK,” he said.
Meanwhile a new-look Lidl in Connswater has opened after a four-month refit, with the creation of 17 jobs.
It has moved to a different location in the the east Belfast shopping centre and retail park, and it is now the largest Lidl store in Northern Ireland.
Store manager Ross Madden said: “We're delighted to reopen in Connswater after four months of construction. This store boasts a new architectural design and spacious store layout, meaning we can offer our customers a greater shopping experience with the same great value.
"We’d like to extend our thanks to our loyal customers, local councillors and Connswater shopping centre & retail park for their support over the last few months. The whole team looks forward to welcoming back existing customers and getting to know new ones over the coming weeks.”
Lidl has 38 stores in Northern Ireland (www.lidl-ni.co.uk), where it says it is committed to working with more than 50 local suppliers.
