Lidl plans 50 new stores a year in France

Between 2010 and 2018, Lidl saw its market share in France rise steadily to more than 6 %. The discounter is not satisfied yet however, and aims to open dozens of new stores every year in the foreseeable future.

Strategy pays off

In 2012, Lidl changed its strategy in France radically: since then, the discounter invested a whopping 4.5 billion euros in expanding its stores, but barely changed its product range. As a reward, last year the chain passed the 6 % market share milestone and has, according to Kantar, already moved up to 6.2 %. In the past decade, the turnover increased by 4.5 % each year.

“Lidl has invested heavily in marketing for three years, in order to improve its brand image“, Capital quotes Accenture’s Laurent Thoumine. “Today, customers are proud to shop at Lidl, which was not the case five years ago.”

Expansion not over yet

Last year, Lidl opened fifty stores in France, including sixteen bought from Casino and seventeen former Leader Price stores. The discounter wants to keep that rhythm for the next few years and open several dozen stores a year.

After its conquest of France began in 1989, Lidl has already opened more than 1500 stores in the country.