Lidl to spend £500 million on London expansion
The Lidl supermarket chain has announced that it will spend £500 million on expanding in London.
The retailer’s plans will include opening 40 new stores within the M25 in places such as Alperton, East Acton, Hackbridge and Watford. The new shops will create around 1,500 jobs across Greater London.
Lidl currently has 88 stores within the M25.
The supermarket has also revealed that it is planning to open its most central London store to date on Tottenham Court Road in Fitzrovia. With a sales area of 1,300 square metres, the shop will stock Lidl’s full range of products, including its popular middle aisle items and in-store baked goods.
The investment plan also includes a new head office in Tolworth that will accommodate the retailer’s 800 head office employees.
Christian Härtnagel, chief executive of Lidl GB, said: “It’s coming up to 25 years since we first launched in London and in that time we’ve grown to almost 90 stores, employing more than 5,000 people.
“London is at the heart of our growth plans across Great Britain, and we are proud to be in a position where we’re continuing to create new jobs.”
