// Lidl will invest £500m to expand its company in London
// The discounter will create 1500 jobs in the capital
// Lidl’s first ever central London store to open on Tottenham Court Road
Lidl has revealed its £500 million expansion program in the capital, as well as its plan to open the first ever central London store on Tottenham Court Road.
The German discount grocer will invest over £500 million across the next five years to open over 40 new stores in locations including Alperton, East Acton, Hackbridge and Watford, creating around 1500 new jobs in the capital.
Its plan also includes opening a new warehouse in Luton and the expansion of its Belvedere distribution centre.
The company will also invest in its new 250,000sq ft head office in Tolworth, south west London, where construction has already begun.
“It’s coming up to 25 years since we first launched in London, and in that time we’ve grown to almost 90 stores, employing more than 5000 people,” Lidl chief executive Christian Härtnagel said.
“London is at the heart of our growth plans across Great Britain, and we are proud to be in a position where we’re continuing to create new jobs.
“Our £500 million investment reflects the scale of opportunity we have to bring our quality produce to even more of the capital’s communities, at prices that make it affordable to everyone,” he said.
Lidl chief development officer Ingo Fischer said: “We are incredibly excited about our plans to open a new Lidl store on Tottenham Court Road, right in the heart of London.
“This comes as a direct result of continued customer demand for the Lidl offering across the capital, and joins a pipeline of new stores planned for the near future.
Lidl currently has 760 stores and 13 warehouses across the UK, with 22,500 employees.
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