With plans to continue growing its footprint across the UK, Lidl is now turning to the public to help them identify worthy sites for their next stores.
The discount retail chain says they will pay a finder’s fee that could amount to upwards of £22,500 for a completed £1.5m site purchase. Lidl has even given British citizens a head start by publishing a list of its desired locations.
“We’re opening an average of one new store a week, which is incredible, and our teams have done a phenomenal job of keeping that pace going over the last couple of years,” Richard Taylor, Chief Development Officer at Lidl GB, said. “But there are still communities up and down the country that are telling us how much they want – and need – a Lidl store. We work with some of the best people in the industry to identify new sites, but we also know how engaged our future and existing customers are and we want to build on this. Our finder’s fees are, therefore, available to absolutely anyone that can identify a viable option for a new store that we’re not already aware of, and we welcome any suitable suggestions that will help up us to meet our ambitious target.”
That benchmark is 1,100 supermarkets by the end of 2025. It has its sights set on several different – and many others – including many of the large ones such as Bristol, Derby, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Southampton, Swansea, Birmingham, Sheffield, Cambridge and Edinburgh. Aldi says these are the factors that will determine future sites:
Site Requirements:
- Prominent locations with easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow.
- Freehold, leasehold or long leasehold opportunities.
- Unit sizes between 18,000 and 26,500 sq ft and 100+ dedicated car parking spaces.
- 1.5+ acres for standalone stores or up to 4 acres for mixed-use schemes.
- Town centre or edge of centre and retail parks.
London Site Requirements:
- Approximately 0.8+ acres for standalone stores or up to 4 acres for mixed-use schemes.
- With or without car parking and in close proximity to key public transport links.
- As well as standalone stores we’re looking for opportunities in:
- Shopping centres
- High streets
- Mixed-use
- Retail parks
Lidl has not slowed the pace of new construction since the start of the pandemic, and in fact, has opened nearly two dozen more stores since the beginning of year, in areas such as Warwick, Hounslow and Straiton. According to Kantar data in February, it is now the sixth largest supermarket chain in the UK.
