Budget supermarket Lidl in £600 million 50-plus store expansion

Discount supermarket Lidl has unveiled plans to open more than 50 stores in a £600 million expansion.

The budget retailer says the move will create nearly 2000 jobs across the UK.

Bosses say the investment represents “the most ambitious standard store opening programme in the UK supermarket sector this year”.

The move will include sites in Abbots Langley, near Watford; Thornbury, near Bristol; and Warrington, which are set to open this summer.

And the company – which already operates more than 1000 stores across the UK – says the outlay is set to be further strengthened by a new Leeds warehouse, which is primed to open next year.

It also plans to expand a distribution site in Belvedere, London.

Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB chief executive, said: “As we grow, we want to positively impact our British communities.

“We’re not just opening doors, we’re unlocking regional growth.

“Our expansion translates directly into high-quality jobs and gives British suppliers the certainty they need to invest in the future.

“Above all, it advances our social purpose of making affordable, healthy food accessible to everyone.”

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