Lidl expands as an oil stain in Spain | Business | EUROtoday

The chef Carlos Arguiñano might advocate his cod crumbs, or that actor Arnold Schwarzenegger promotes his DIY instruments, however what could also be making Lidl acquire extra presence is his fixed grocery store openings in Spain. According to the Kantar market research, the German has established itself because the chain with the very best progress since 2019 within the nation (1.9%). Its fiscal 12 months closes in February and haven’t facilitated gross sales figures, however sources from the sector place them at 7,000 million in 2024.

Lidl Stiftung subsidiary, an organization built-in in flip within the Schwarz group, one of many world’s main distributors (with Lidl and Kaufland chains) with 13,900 shops and 575,000 workers in 32 international locations, the model has consolidated its nationwide presence since its already distant touchdown of 1994. It is the third operator behind Mercadona and Carrefour, with a 6.6% quota (in information of the final 12 weeks collected by Kantar). More than 700 shops, 13 logistics platforms and 18,500 employed individuals make their fundamental opponents scratch yearly. In 2025, profiting from the great second of the economic system, they’ve opened 10 supermarkets after investing 70 million euros and anticipate to complete the 12 months chopping the purple ribbon of a complete of fifty. The subsequent one, on May 16, it is going to open in Seville, within the neighborhood of the South Higuerón Park. “Our goal is to gain capillarity and grow in a sustained and sustainable way,” they clarify within the group. They search, they are saying, “the best locations, both in urban nuclei and in peripheral areas.”

Last 12 months they allotted 220 million to open 40 institutions and the rhythm will now speed up with a brand new level of sale each week (on common) throughout the the rest of the 12 months. “The autonomous communities that will concentrate most of the openings in the fiscal year [el suyo termina el 28 de febrero de 2026] Son Andalucía, Community of Madrid, Valencian Community, Catalonia, Canary Islands and Galicia, ”clarify in Lidl. The final supermarkets have opened them in medium -sized cities comparable to Fuenlabrada, Villalbilla and Majadahonda in Madrid; Benicarló and Novelda within the Valencian Community, or in provincial capitals (Salamanca, Murcia or Lugo), amongst others.

The huge business community can be rising its operational wants. In Constantí (Tarragona) they’ve launched a warehouse of 40,000 meters and half 100 docks which have price 16 million. “In addition, we advance in the construction of its future logistics platform in Catalonia, which with about 66,000 meters of surface will be added to which the company has operated for years in Montcada I Reixac (Barcelona),” they clarify within the German group. This challenge will contain the biggest logistics funding for the reason that arrival of Lidl to Spain, with round 140 million funding.

With a inhabitants of more and more small households, shops flee from massive codecs – numerous research discuss concerning the disaster of hypermarkets and the return of consumers to proximity commerce – and are rising the assortment of recent merchandise, in order that clients could make all essential purchases in a single place. Halfway between a big floor and a neighborhood grocery store, theirs have about 1,500 sq. meters and usually supply 100 parking areas. The new ones even have recharge providers for electrical autos. As for the assortment, the distributor model has historically been one among its strengths, extra if it suits in these final years of triggered inflation. The vary is accomplished with native references with which they wish to compete in opposition to the thrust of regional chains.

Lidl presumes to be the primary shopper of the Spanish backyard, above some other nationwide firm, as a result of it additionally provides the remainder of its European supermarkets. Belonging to a serious group is one among its nice strengths. Many of their very own model merchandise and far of the sustainable containers of their strains, for instance, come instantly from Schwarz Produktion. In 2023, final information accessible, Lidl purchased vegatables and fruits price 3,153 million, an quantity equal to 19% of vegatables and fruits (one in 5) consumed in Spain, in line with the Spanish Federation of Fruit Export Producers Associations (FEPEX). This exercise, in line with a PWC company affect report, generates 8.6 billion GDPs and 180,000 direct, oblique and induced jobs.

Some challenges

If the scale makes it simpler so that you can make mass purchases and decrease your prices, your fixed promotion technique offers an plentiful buyer base. Many of them desperately sought till final Wednesday a promotion cooking robotic that the chain offered for 299 euros with a reimbursement in buy coupons of 250 euros to spend, after all, in its supermarkets.

But with excessive competitors and an more and more unstable world, Lidl has a handful of challenges forward. The first is to proceed rising in a market as developed as Spanish. So far he has accomplished so profiting from the weak point of different opponents and occupying the areas that conventional commerce is shedding. “The construction of each of our stores represents a long -term commitment,” they clarify within the chain, which sees alternatives to proceed advancing with out executing closures: “They are a very exceptional phenomenon and are not part of our current plans.”

But different chains squeeze. Mercadona has agreements to take a position greater than 200 million within the Peninsula to purchase land and premises with which to finish its business supply. Alcampo, though he went again in gross sales in 2024, has expanded his presence with the grocery store format after shopping for within the final 12 months and a half 200 shops. And the Dia Group, which in 2018 occupied Lidl’s place in the present day, has ended its sanitation and sees house to proceed opening neighborhood supermarkets with which the favor of a complicated ages are being gained. For their half, regional chains, with a quota of 18% and a progress of 0.7 factors in line with Kantar, are gaining floor with a large supply of recent merchandise and in a personalised service. The business conflict for the acquisition cart by no means stops.