In a recent update, Lidl GB shared that it has invested a total of £435 million into growing its UK warehousing footprint, expanding its facility in London and building a new one in Leeds.
It announced that its £285m two-stage extension at its Belvedere site in South East London is now complete. The first phase of investment involved the construction of a second warehouse at the site, while the second stage demolished the original building to make way for a new ‘state-of-the art’ warehouse, which tripled capacity.
Lidl now has 800,000ft² warehouse space at the Belvedere site; this marks a 167% increase in its footprint since the site first opened in 2003.
Once fully operational, Lidl says the site will serve 120 stores – from its recently opened store in Brentford to Dorking, as well as future stores.
And further north, construction began in July at its 38-acre site in Gildersome, Leeds. The retailer expects that this further £150m investment will help it fulfil its commitment to ‘scaling up and strengthening infrastructure to support its stores across the country as it builds towards its major milestone of 1,000 stores’.
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Richard Taylor, chief real estate officer at Lidl GB, said: “We’re proud to play our role in driving economic growth, while continuing to establish an infrastructure that delivers sustainable growth for our ambitious expansion plans.
“But these investments are not just about logistics. The updates today also represent an investment in our mission to make good food accessible to households across the country.”
Lidl claims that these developments will create over 500 new roles – 120 in London and 400 in Leeds.
Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves said of the announcement: “This investment is a strong vote of confidence in the UK economy, and Lidl’s commitment to new warehouse facilities in London and Leeds will unlock hundreds of new jobs, strengthen supply chains, and ensure families can access affordable, quality food.”
