Lidl to create more than 200 jobs amid Scots investment
● Glasgow and Fife among areas to gain new stores while others to be revamped
Discount supermarket chain Lidl plans to create up to 220 jobs as it opens four additional Scottish stores and pumps cash into its existing sites.
The chain plans to expand its portfolio across the country, adding to a current estate of 103 sites with new branches in Rosyth, Fife, and Finnieston and Robroyston in Glasgow. The location of the fourth site has yet to be disclosed.
Meanwhile, Lidl has pledged to “optimise” existing stores across Scotland, including in Kirkwall, Kelso and Kilsyth.
Overall, the investment and expansionprogrammeshould lead to the creation of up to 220 additional jobs over the next 12 months.
The German-owned retailer recently revealed a list of 28 “sites of interest” across the country. Along with fellow German brand Aldi it has been aggressively growing its UK footprint, taking on the might of established “big four” playargued ers Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.
Ross Millar, Lidl’s regional director for Scotland, said: “At the beginning of 2020 we opened our 100th store in Scotland.
“To be able to continue that growth across the country is an exciting prospect and reinforces our commitment to creating new jobs and providing Scottish communities with quality produce at Lidl value prices.”
The ongoing expansion in Scotland is part of the group’s target of having 1,000 stores opened across Britain by the end of 2023 and its commitment to investing £1.3 billion in expansion over the course of 2021 and 2022. It established itself in Britain in 1994.
Last month, plans to build a Lidl supermarket in the Seafield area of Edinburgh were thrown out amid fears the store would attract too many customers travelling by car.
The proposals for a site at Seafield Road were rejected by Edinburgh City Council for a second time after councillors that having a supermarket at that specific location would counter city aims to be climate friendly.
Members of the council’s development management sub-committee voted seven to four against granting Lidl permission to open in a building located within a small industrial retail park, currently occupied by B&M. Councillors highlighted that the site is not well connected to public transport.
Rival Aldi recently confirmed that Edinburgh was among the locations being targeted as it seeks to open 19 new stores across Scotland.
The retailer, which opened its first Scottish outlet 25 years ago, has identified a number of areas where it is looking for town-centre or edge-of-centre sites suitable for development.
Ciaran Aldridge, national property director at Aldi UK, said the business was growing rapidly and welcoming around a million new customers into its stores every year. He said the retailer was willing to explore all opportunities for expansion, including developer-led schemes or existing retail units.