Lidl has announced a list of 'priority locations' across the North East where it hopes to open an abundance of new outlets.
The leading discount retailer at the time of writing has a 950-strong store count across England, Scotland and Wales - but aims to increase its number of UK sites to 1,100 by the end of 2025.
And in a business update, the German supermarket said that it is looking for 'prominent locations' featuring 'strong pedestrian or traffic flow' at a minimum of 1.5 acres for standalone units. It is also considering up to four acres per mixed-use site.
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The Mirror reports that each potential location should also be able to hold 18,000 and 26,500 square feet and 100 dedicated car parking spaces respectively. Lidl also noted that it is targeting town centre, edge of centre, and retail park locations in particular.
The wishlist in full contains a total of 1,168 locations - however, be mindful that these are just places where Lidl eventually wants to set up shop, with nothing in writing as of yet. It is believed that only a small number of prospective locations will actually welcome a new Lidl store.
In hindsight, the retailer opened up 15 new shops over the last three months - with hopes of opening a further 10 later in 2023.
Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, said: “The last few years have been challenging for everyone, but we’ve made it clear that we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that every single household has access to a Lidl store. That’s why our focus is firmly on the future as we continue to grow and invest in our infrastructure, while keeping a lookout for more sites and locations across the country.”
Lidl GB Chief Development Officer, Richard Taylor, added: “Our store expansion has been and continues to be unparalleled. In the last three months alone, we’ve opened 15 new stores – more than any other retailer, and in 2022 we welcomed customers through the doors of over 50 new stores.
“But we won’t be stopping there. Our vision is to have over 1,100 stores in the future, but really there’s no ceiling on our ambition or growth potential.”
And while Lidl is looking at potential locations across England, Scotland and Wales, we thought we would round up the North East locations included in the budget shopping chain's prospective wishlist.
List of locations in North East England that Lidl wants to set up shop -
Barrow - multiple
Benton
Berwick
Boldon
Carlisle - multiple
Chester-le-Street
Cramlington
Darlington - multiple
Eston
Filey
Gateshead - multiple
Jarrow
Keswick
Marske/Saltburn
Middlesbrough - multiple
Newcastle - multiple
Newton Aycliffe
North Shields
Penrith
Ponteland
Prudhoe
Redcar
Scarborough - North
Seaham
Sedgefield
Shiremoor
South Shields - Marsden
Stanley
Stockton - multiple
Stokesley
Sunderland - multiple
Tynemouth
Ulverston
Whitehaven
Whitley Bay
Windermere
Where would you like to see a Lidl crop up? Let us know in the comments below.
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