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.

Lidl has confirmed where two new UK stores will open this month. The discount supermarket’s staff will welcome customers through the doors of branches in Brough, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and Burntwood in Staffordshire.

Shoppers in Brough can expect their new Lidl to open on Thursday (January 15) while those in Burntwood won’t have long to wait as their branch opens a week later on January 22. The new branches are among 19 Lidl plans to open over the next eight weeks as part of a nationwide expansion.

Lidl announced on Tuesday that it was also renovating over 70 of its existing outlets to the tune of £43million. Changes as part of the store overhaul include new tills and bigger freezers to offer a wider range of products.

The chain is also launching new energy-saving features, such as chillers which use natural refrigerants and smart lighting systems that reduce electricity use.

Richard Taylor, Chief Real Estate Officer at Lidl GB, hailed the company’s commitment to delivering the best experience for customers and creating a positive impact for communities.

He added: “With this push, we’re set on winning more shoppers across the nation and claiming an even bigger share of the market.”

Market share figures from Worldpanel show Lidl made the greatest gain among the supermarkets over the 12 weeks to December 28. It added 0.5 percentage points to claim 7.8% of the market and saw sales growth of 10%.

In comparison, grocery sales at M&S were 7.2% higher over the 12 weeks compared with the same period a year earlier.

M&S sought to position itself as a challenger to the “big six” supermarkets on Wednesday when it announced an expansion of its value food item range.

It has launched more than 30 new value products this month, including core family items such as 500g and 750g packs of 5% fat beef mince and 1kg bags of frozen sweetcorn.

The retailer said sales of M&S value lines, including “remarksable value”, “dropped & locked” and “bigger pack, better value” items were up 20% in the third quarter of last year while the “remarksable value” range alone had doubled in size since 2023.

M&S, which is known for its high-end own-brand food products, claimed to be the fastest-growing grocer with families, based on till receipts data from analysts Worldpanel.

YouGov figures also suggest a three percentage point uptick over the last two years in families now likely to consider shopping at M&S Food while perceptions of value at M&S among families has improved by 10 percentage points over the same period.

The move from M&S comes amid a flurry of price promises by the major supermarkets as they compete to attract households struggling with rising food inflation amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Food inflation increased to 3.3%, up from November’s 3% and far outstripping wider shop price inflation of 0.7%, according to latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NIQ data.

The new year is just two months away and with brands restructuring across the country, shops are not only closing but opening too, with several expected to hit Britain’s high streets over the coming weeks.

A variety of supermarket giants, clothing retailers and even gyms are set to launch new stores in the next two months. JD Gym is among those expanding with the launch of its 100th branch penned in for November. 

Lidl has made headlines for its dramatic restructuring plan including the opening of new locations. Lidl’s expansion will include “approximately 100 additional stores” across Britain, making that 159 grocceries alone. However, retailers are not to be left behind in the nation’s sprint ahead of the economy, with Drapers Online sharing the good news of fashion brands expanding amid the “doom and gloom”.

Poundland closed 52 stores as part of a 68 store closure plan unveiled by the recent acquisition by Pepco Group investment firm Gordon Brothers, in June. However, bargain hunters should not despair as the high street favourite is opening 37 new stores across the nation, with its infamous £1 deals set to return. Britbrief writes that several of these will appear in London’s “high-footfall areas”, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Cardiff. 

Similarly, Asda has confirmed its expansion, with 22 stores to open before December 31. Restarting its Express store programme, the UK giant opened the first of its stores in Castleford this October, with a plan of 21 further openings to be carried out by the chain. Now published, Yahoo News reports the openings to be in the following locations:

• Bradford – Toller Lane
• Botley – Boorley Green
• Cadishead – Liverpool Road
• Castleford – Holywell Lane
• Crystal Palace – Anerley Road
• Deepcut – Bridge Road
• Deptford – Landings
• Ferndown – Wimborne Road
• Greenwich – South Street
• Harringay – Green Lanes
• Harrow – Headstone Drive
• Heath Hayes – Hednesford Road
• Horncastle
• Liverpool – Parliament Street
• London – Finsbury Park Station; Limehouse Station; Tottenham Hale West; Tower Bridge
• Manchester – Square Gardens
• Stoke – Station Road
• Whetstone – High Road
• Wigan – Mesnes Road

The site states US brand Anthropologie to open three new UK stores this November, with another three openings for AllSaints to join them on the high street. Women’s Quiz Clothing has revealed plans to open between five and 10 new UK stores, however there is no hint as of yet to whether this will begin before January. Additionally, sought-after athleisure brand Alo is to expand its portfolio between late 2025 and 2026, with its first new location set to be outside of London.

According to The Independent, JD Gym, a subsect of the global chain JD Sports Fashion, has confirmed it is opening a new gym in Enfield, North London. The November launch will celebrate the firm’s 167th branch.