Lidl has said it expects to open more than 50 new stores in the next 12 months as part of a £600 million investment plan. The UK’s sixth-largest supermarket chain said the move will create close to 2,000 jobs across the UK.

New store openings will include sites such as Abbots Langley near Watford, Warrington in Cheshire and Thornbury in Gloucestershire, which are all set to open this summer, the company said. Lidl said it will host more than 150 property partners and agents later this month to share its future growth plans as it targets new freehold, leasehold, or long-leasehold properties across Great Britain.

The firm has more than 1,000 stores across Britain and employs more than 35,000 workers. It also operates over 12,600 stores globally across 31 countries, with the vast majority of its footprint in mainland Europe, including over 3,000 in Germany, around 1,600 in France and nearly 200 US stores.

Ryan McDonnell, chief executive of Lidl GB, said: “As we grow, we want to positively impact our British communities. We’re not just opening doors, we’re unlocking regional growth.

“Our expansion translates directly into high-quality jobs and gives British suppliers the certainty they need to invest in the future.

“Above all, it advances our social purpose of making affordable, healthy food accessible to everyone.”

Employment minister Kate Dearden said: “This kind of investment is exactly what we want to see from big employers – creating thousands of good jobs that pay fair wages and boost the standard of living in communities across the country.”

It comes after Lidl reported a 10% surge in sales over a “record-breaking” Christmas, during which nearly 51 million customers shopped with the discounter.

Hundreds of jobs at a UK contruction firm have been protected after it went into administration, according to reports. Thurston Group Ltd, a modular construction specialist firm based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire produces offsite and modular buildings across various sectors, including education, healthcare, industrial and commercial.

It’s has been operating for more than five decades and has a number of sites in Yorkshire. But the firm, which had a turnover of £47million to the year ending November 1, 2024, has faced financial challenges in recent times and on December 22 called in corporate recovery company Leonard Curtis, Wakefield Express reports.

Hilary Pascoe, Andrew Poxon and Mike Dillon from Leonard Curtis were appointed as joint administrators of Thurston Group Limited, the main trading business, Thurston Holdings Limited, and Thurston Group Estates Limited this week.

Thurston Group Limited was established in 1970, and employed 275 people.

Last month, Leonard Curtis had been formally instructed to conduct an accelerated mergers and acquisitions (AMA) to find a buyer, with GCH Corporation Ltd confirmed as the new owner on December 22, 2025.

GCH Corporation Ltd describes itself on its website as a “privately owned and personally financed group of companies” that owns industrial manufacturing and distribution businesses.

According to the outlet, the deal has successfully safeguarded more than 200 jobs. Express.co.uk has reached out to GCH Corporation and Leonard Curtis to confirm how many jobs have been saved.

GCH chief executive Cassie Hutchings said she was pleased to confirm the acquisition, protecting jobs and securing the business’ future.

“Thurston is a respected UK manufacturer of modular buildings with a strong heritage and deep sector expertise,” Ms Hutchings said.

“As a long-term, privately owned industrial group, GCH is committed to stabilising and investing in the business.

“We are excited to welcome Thurston into the GCH family and look forward to supporting its next phase of growth.”

Ms Pascoe said: “We are delighted to have completed a sale and wish the new owners every success.”