Supermarket customers in London continue to look for value in their shops, and that is most evident in the soaring popularity of one discount retail chain.
Lidl GB, known for its low prices on all products including its lines of fruits and vegetables, has overtaken Asda and moved into third place in the city with a market share of 9.1%, according to Kantar Worldwide’s data tracker for the four weeks ending Oct. 1.
Though Lidl still sits in sixth place in the UK behind Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi and Morrisons, it is a force to be reckoned with in the capital. It has made a stout £500 million investment there to provide Londoners with quality food at reasonable costs. It opened nine new stores in London in 2022 – from East Acton to Upton Park – and is in development for five more in the coming year or so.
In 2024, it will launch a supermarket in East Ham before opening two more in Newbury Park and Bellingham.
“We have a clear commitment to providing shoppers with the very best value, and becoming the third-largest supermarket in London reinforces our dedication to ensuring that everyone can eat affordable, high quality food, no matter where they live,” Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, says. “We know convenience plays a huge factor when choosing where to shop in the city, which is why we’re pushing on with plans to bring many more locations to the capital in the future.”
Lidl wants to increase that footprint in London and through the M25 to more than 100 locations, including Earls Court, Westminster, Kings Cross, and Knightsbridge. It also continues to explore sites in other locations, and can do so thanks to its new £300m Regional Distribution Centre in Luton.It now boasts more than 31,000 employees in the UK who work at 960-plus stores and 14 distribution centres.
Depending on the poll, Lidl sits either first or second in the UK next to rival Aldi at providing the best value of an average shop in the UK. It is also the best-paying chain, with hourly wages within the M25 starting at £12.85, rising to £13.15.
