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Lidl has announced that it is calling on the British public for support in identifying sites for new stores.
The retailer said it is investing £1.3bn in its expansion across 2021 and 2022. It has revealed that it is offering a finder’s fee to members of the public who successfully identify suitable sites.
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 £22.5k 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 and Edinburgh.
Since the beginning of 2022, Lidl has already opened 23 new stores, including in Warwick, Hounslow and Straiton.
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.
“But there are still communities up and down the country that are 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.”
He added: “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.”
