A MAJOR bargain supermarket will close stores from this weekend ahead of huge expansion plans.
Lidl, which has 950 sites, is closing or relocating three of its supermarkets over the next couple of months.
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Its store on Drayton Road, Mile Cross, will close on Sunday, April 30, and its shop on Sturry Road, Canterbury, will close on Sunday, May 28.
They’re closing due to the poor condition of the building and bosses deeming them unfit for purpose.
Lidl is also set to close its store in The Quadrant in Redditch town centre later this year after opening a replacement store on Battens Drive in June 2022 – although the closure date isn’t yet confirmed.
All affected staff will be offered roles at alternative locations.
The closures come at the same time that Lidl bosses revealed that the chain is looking to open hundreds of new locations.
While Lidl hasn’t confirmed the exact locations of new stores, it told The Sun the two other locations are on its site requirement list.
The potential locations would be for high street, standalone, mixed-use, or shopping centre stores.
Sites also being looked at include retail parks, as well as metropolitan shops in London and M25.
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The full list, of which there are 1,168 locations, includes sites across all areas of Great Britain – including 66 in Scotland, 83 in Yorkshire, 83 in central England, 91 in south London and 42 in south-mid Wales.
The numerous locations listed in its plans only represent potential sites.
Lidl says only a small number will eventually be developed and opened as stores.
But, the retailer has confirmed a new store target of 1,100 stores by the end of 2025, creating 4,000 new jobs.
The chain is looking for more than 1.5 acres for standalone shops and up to four acres for mixed-use sites.
The site should be able to accommodate 18,000 and 26,500 sq ft and 100 dedicated car parking spaces.
Plus, there’s a finder’s fee to members of the public who can help find sites for the new development.
Lidl has offered a fee of 1.5% of the total freehold purchase price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leasehold.
Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB chief executive, previously said: “The last few years have been challenging for everyone, but we’ve made it clear that we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that every single household has access to a Lidl store.
“That’s why our focus is firmly on the future as we continue to grow and invest in our infrastructure while keeping a lookout for more sites and locations across the country.”
The expansion plans come after the chain has already been expanding its store offering over the last year.
In 2022, it opened 50 new shops and has cut the ribbon on 15 more just in the last three months.
The discounter also says it welcomed 1.4million new shoppers last year, with Kantar recently naming it the fastest growing supermarket.
It has over 29,500 employees, over 950 stores and 13 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.
You can find your nearest Lidl store by visiting the website.
Fellow discount supermarket chain Aldi also unveiled plans earlier this year to open a further nine shops by the end of 2023.
Aldi had previously revealed it was looking at 30 possible areas for new shops, and more site locations are set to be opened.
