LIDL TO OPEN 50 NEW STORES AFTER REVENUE HITS £13BN

Lidl GB has said it will open more than 50 new stores this year as part of a £600million investment programme, after reporting that revenue rose 10.8 per cent to £13billion in the year to 28 February 2026, up from £11.7billion the previous year. The discounter said operating profit rose to £345million from £314million over the same period. It opened more than 40 new stores during the year and said it reached its 1,000th store in the process. Lidl GB chief executive Ryan McDonnell said the results reflected "the trust that millions of customers place in us every week" and credited the company's staff. The company said it recorded 43 million more customer visits and sold 486 million more products, with growth across fresh meat, poultry, and fruit and vegetables.

Lidl said more than £650million of its growth came from shoppers switching directly from rival supermarkets, while sales of its Deluxe range rose 12 per cent. It said it spent £315million on price cuts and promotions, including its "Pick of the Week" offers, and that users of its Lidl Plus loyalty app rose 23 per cent year on year. The retailer became the UK's fifth-largest supermarket in May, according to the company, overtaking Morrisons. Figures from Defra's grocery market share table, which uses Worldpanel by Numerator data, put Lidl on 8.6 per cent market share in the 12 weeks to 17 May, ahead of Morrisons on 8.3 per cent. Lidl said three in five households now shop with it.

Lidl said it would increase funding for personalised coupons by 60 per cent in 2026 and roll out its Lidl & Go service, alongside the planned 50 new stores. It said it had invested £43million upgrading more than 70 existing sites, including self-checkouts and energy-efficient lighting and chillers. The company said it spent £59million on staff pay increases last year and employs more than 35,000 people across England, Scotland and Wales. Lidl said it had been named the cheapest supermarket in The Grocer's "Super Grocer 33" analysis, and described itself as the fastest-growing bricks-and-mortar retailer for more than three years.