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.
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
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