DISCOUNT supermarket Lidl has unveiled plans for 58 new sites in Scotland as part of a push to that will create 4,000 jobs across the UK including hundreds north of the Border over the next three years.

Executives said they expect to reach the target of having 1,000 stores by 2023 and set a new ambition for 1,100 sites by 2025.

The move comes as the grocer published its accounts for the year to end of February at Companies House, showing how it benefitted during the pandemic from its position as an “essential” retailer.

Sales jumped 12 per cent to £7.7 billion and pre-tax profits hit £9.8 million after a £25.2m loss a year earlier, according to the accounts.

Despite the strong sales during the financial year, it also revealed Brexit has had a detrimental impact on the business.

Barrhead News:

The accounts state since the end of the transition period at the end of 2020 there has been an increase in administration for importing and exporting and warned customs agents are being stretched, which is limiting their ability to process goods more efficiently.

Lidl added it had suffered from delays at the UK border due to missing Government guidelines for some shipping lines, and seen costs rise on an item-by-item and shipment-by-shipment basis due to customs duties and import costs.

Executives also said they opened 55 stores and during the first year of the pandemic and spent £17.5m on boosting staff pay, including £8m on hourly wage hikes and £9.5m on bonuses during the Covid-19 crisis.

It will reduce plastic in its own-brand packaging by 40% by 2025 and cut the total amount of own-label packaging by 25% in the same year.

Christian Hartnagel, Lidl GB chief executive, said: “We delivered an impressive trading performance in the period which was supported by our continued investment in new and existing stores, product innovation and our people.”

The potential Scottish sites, which may also involve around four relocations, include:

1. Aberdeen – Garthdee

2. Aberdeen - Mastrick

3. Ayr South

4. Banff

5. Bishopbriggs

6. Bonnyrigg

7. Broughty Ferry

8. Castle Douglas

9. Clarkston

10. Clydebank – North

11. Cumbernauld – North

12. Cumbernauld – South

13. Cumnock

14. Denny – Falkirk

15. Dumfries

16. Dunblane

17. Dunfermline – North

18. Dunfermline – South

19. Edinburgh - Barnton/Davidson Mains

20. Edinburgh - Brunstane/Jewel

21. Edinburgh - City Centre

22. Edinburgh - Colinton/Currie

23. Edinburgh – Gilmerton

24. Edinburgh – Liberton

25. Edinburgh – Meadowbank

26. Edinburgh – Morningside

27. Edinburgh – Murrayfield

28. Edinburgh - Newington/Mayfield

29. Edinburgh – Oxgangs

30. Edinburgh – Portobello

31. Ellon

32. Glasgow – Cathcart

33. Glasgow – Drumchapel

34. Glasgow – Ibrox

35. Glasgow - Merchant City

36. Glasgow – Summerston

37. Helensburgh

38. Inverness – South

39. Irvine

40. Kilmarnock

41. Kirkcaldy North/East

42. Largs

43. Linlithgow

44. Livingston

45. Milngavie

46. Moodiesburn

47. Newton Mearns

48. Paisley – South

49. Paisley – West

50. Peebles

51. Perth – North

52. Polmont - Falkirk East

53. Renfrew

54. St Andrews

55. Stenhousemuir

56. Stonehaven

57. Westhill

58. Wishaw