A MAJOR supermarket chain has announce plans to invest half a billion pounds in an expansion move, including new outlets in Reading.
Discount retailer Lidl has laid out plans to invest 500 million as part of an expansion which could see a number of new stores developed in the south of England.
More than 40 new stores could be opening their doors as proposed planning reforms look set to support the expansion.
Among the potential locations published by the retailer are Bracknell, Guildford, and Windsor, alongside a fifth store which is due to open in Reading Retail Park later this year.
This year will also see the completion of the expansion of Lidl’s Belvedere Regional Distribution Centre, which has more than doubled in size, and construction of a brand-new distribution centre in Leeds later in the year.
Richard Taylor, Chief Development Officer at Lidl GB, said: “This level of investment is a clear sign of our ambition.
“As we enter our fourth decade in Great Britain and hurtle towards a thousand stores, there are still so many parts of the country crying out for convenient access to a Lidl store.
“That’s why we welcome the measures proposed in the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill – they recognise the urgent need to remove barriers to development and support the kind of growth we at Lidl are working towards.”
He explained: “Our latest site requirements brochure reinforces the scale of our ambition for the future.
“New Lidl stores mean new jobs, new opportunities for British suppliers, and continued investment into local economies.
“We’re proud to be one of the fastest-growing supermarkets in the country, and with this investment, we’re taking another big step in our journey.”
