Lidl GB has announced that it is calling on the British public for support in identifying sites for new stores.
The discounter, which is investing £1.3 billion in its expansion across 2021 and 2022, has revealed that it is offering a finder’s fee to members of the public who successfully identify suitable sites for new Lidl stores. The fee is either 1.5% of the total freehold purchase price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leaseholds, which would equate to £22,500 for a completed £1.5m site purchase.
The news comes as Lidl publishes its annual list* of locations across the country where it is interested in acquiring sites for potential store developments. The list includes, amongst many others, the following towns and cities:
Bristol
Derby
Liverpool
London
Manchester
Nottingham
Oxford
Southampton
Swansea
Birmingham
Sheffield
Cambridge
Edinburgh
Since the beginning of 2022, Lidl has already opened 23 new stores, including in Warwick, Hounslow and Straiton, providing more communities with access to high-quality food at the lowest possible prices. In March 2022, it became the 6th largest supermarket in the UK**.
Richard Taylor, Chief Development Officer at Lidl GB, said: “We know that the majority of British shoppers still love doing their shopping in person and we are as committed as ever to opening new stores and enhancing our existing ones. 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. But there are still communities up and down the country 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 us to meet our ambitious target of 1,100 stores by the end of 2025.”
Members of the public who know of potential sites are encouraged to check details against Lidl’s site requirements and contact the supermarket’s Property team with further details. More information can be found here: www.lidl.co.uk/about-us/property.
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 the centre and retail parks.
London Site Requirements:
Approx. 0.8+ acres for standalone stores or up to 4 acres for mixed-use schemes.
With or without car parking and near key public transport links.
As well as standalone stores, we’re looking fo,r opportunities in:
Shopping centres
High streets
Mixed-use
Retail parks
*The sites listed within Lidl’s site requirements brochure indicate areas of interest to Lidl, which are desirable for new stores, not new store plans or openings. It represents a long list of potential sites, from which a small number will eventually be developed and opened as stores.
**Based on data released by Kantar for the 52 weeks to 20th February 2022