A new Lidl has opened at a busy retail park to serve residents in Reading and Tilehurst.
The German supermarket giant has opened its fourth store in the town at the Reading Retail Park in Oxford Road, which is convenient for people living in West Reading and the surrounding area.
The store contains the usual range of food, groceries and a bakery, with exclusive discounts for Lidl Plus app users.
The new Lidl was opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Tilehurst Panthers Girls Football Club.
A post by the club on Facebook states: “A group of our brilliant players were invited to help officially open the brand‑new Lidl store in Tilehurst — and they absolutely smashed it.
“A mix of U8s to U12s were given full VIP treatment.
“They were the very first customers through the doors, enjoyed a guided tour of the shop and warehouse, and then took centre stage to cut the ribbon and welcome the public inside.
“Each girl received a goody bag for their efforts, and every single one of them represented the club with pride, confidence, and smiles all round.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to be involved in community events like this.
“A huge thank you to Luke and the team at Lidl for the invitation — and congratulations on getting the new store up and running. It looks fantastic.”
The fit-out, which involved merging two existing retail units, ended last month, with the store opening on Thursday, February 26.
The completion of the project ends the wider redevelopment of the retail park, which saw Halfords downsize into a smaller unit in July last year.
It occupies the unit vacated by Wrens Kitchens, which relocated to Reading Gateway in August 2018.
The Lidl has been created following the merger of the former Halfords and CarpetRight stores.
The retail park is now fully occupied, with the other occupants being B&M, Pets at Home, The Gym Group, Wickes and a KFC drive-thru restaurant.
The three other Lidl’s are located in Bath Road, 291 Oxford Road and Basingstoke Road, with other stores in Woodley and Shinfield.
The opening of the Lidl at Reading Retail Park comes amid a major expansion, with 19 stores being created in the first quarter of the year.
Richard Taylor, Chief Real Estate Officer at Lidl GB, said: “We’re starting the new year as we mean to go on, with a major investment that reinforces our commitment to delivering the best experience for customers and creating a positive impact for the communities we serve. With this push, we’re set on winning more shoppers across the nation and claiming an even bigger share of the market.”
