Discount Giant Lidl has revealed updates on two of its warehouses in Leeds and London.
The business has completed its two-stage extension at its London Belvedere site, investing £285m across two buildings.
The first phase, which involved the construction of a new, second warehouse, was equivalent to £160m. The second stage demolished the original building to enable a state-of-the art warehouse to be built, which tripled capacity.
The Belvedere site now consists of a 800,000 sq ft warehouse space, marking a 167% increase in its footprint since opening at the site in 2003. Once fully operational, the site will serve 120 shops, including future stores.
In July, construction started at Lidl’s 38-acre site in Gildersome, Leeds. The discounter said its £150m investment was another example of its commitment to scaling up and strengthening infrastructure to support its stores across the country, as it worked towards its milestone of 1,000 stores.
The developments will lead to more than 500 new jobs, with the Belvedere expansion creating 120 new roles and the Leeds warehouse resulting in 400 new positions.
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Lidl GB chief real estate officer Richard Taylor said: “We’re proud to play our role in driving economic growth, while continuing to establish an infrastructure that delivers sustainable growth for our ambitious expansion plans.
“But these investments are not just about logistics. The updates today also represent an investment in our mission to make good food accessible to households across the country.”
In June, Amazon geared up to opening four new fulfilment centres, pledging to invest £40bn in the UK over the next three years.
The ecommerce giant said it would build two major warehouses in the East Midlands, due to open in 2027.
Home Bargains also unveiled its “cutting-edge” one-million square foot automated distribution centre just outside Liverpool in May.
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