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3 hours ago
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Lidl is to open 50 new UK stores in the year ahead – as well as its first pub – as it aims to overtake Morrisons as the country’s fifth largest supermarket chain.
The German-owned retailer has begun building a pub in east Belfast in response to strict local licensing laws that cap the number of premises that can sell alcohol.
In Northern Ireland, supermarkets that want to sell alcohol must buy a licence that has been “surrendered” by another business, such as a pub that is shutting. They then must show there is an inadequate number of existing licensed premises in an area to meet the public’s needs.
Lidl was not able to pass the inadequacy test for a standard off-licence, but was able to for a pub as two nearby bars had closed in recent years.
Given these unusual circumstances the pub, which will operate in separate premises next door, is likely be a one-off.
Lidl’s regional general manager, Gordon Cruikshanks, said: “After a six-year planning process, we are delighted to confirm today the development of a brand-new pub and the corresponding off-license, located next to our store in Dundonald.”
He told the Spanish news agency EFE that he expects to open the venue, which will seat about 60 people, this summer and it will serve a selection of products from Lidl’s range of beers, wines, and spirits, as well as other beverages to “promote local suppliers”.
Lidl GB, which now has more than 1,000 British stores, said it planned to invest more than £600m in UK expansion, creating almost 2,000 jobs as it grows its warehouse and logistic network to supply its new outlets.
The new locations include Abbots Langley near Watford, Warrington in Cheshire, and Thornbury in Gloucestershire, all of which will open this summer.
The 50 store openings in the next 12 months compares with 40 in the year to February 2026 and just one closure. Lidl GB does not expect any closures in the year ahead.
In the year to February 2025 there were a net 12 stores added, while there was one the prior year as it slowed expansion to focus on improving existing stores.
Lidl and its rival German discounter Aldi – which overtook Morrisons as the fourth biggest supermarket in 2022 and is snapping at the heels of third-placed Asda – have grown rapidly in the UK as they have benefited from households hunting for cheaper items amid the cost of living crisis.
However, in the last few years Tesco and Sainsbury’s – the UK’s first and second largest chains respectively – have fought back with loyalty schemes and ranges that match Aldi on price.
Lidl said it would be hosting more than 150 property partners and agents at an event this month as it tries to secure new locations.
The latest market data indicated that Lidl drew level with Morrisons on UK market share of 8.3% as it achieved the fastest pace of growth among the grocers with physical stores.
Only Ocado, the online grocer, outpaced Lidl’s 9.6% growth in the three months to 22 March, according to Worldpanel by Numerator . Morrisons’ sales rose by just 2.3% in the period, well behind inflation.
In the year to February 2025, sales rose 8.3% to £11.7bn at Lidl GB and profits more than doubled to £156.8m, with employee numbers rising to 11,422.
Ryan McDonnell, the chief executive of Lidl GB, said: “As we grow, we want to positively impact our British communities … Our expansion translates directly into high-quality jobs and gives British suppliers the certainty they need to invest in the future.”
Kate Dearden, the minister for employment rights and consumer protection, said: “This kind of investment is exactly what we want to see from big employers – creating thousands of good jobs that pay fair wages and boost the standard of living in communities across the country.”
