BUDGET supermarket giant Lidl is aiming to open a number of new stores in Somerset.
New plans from the retailer has detailed scores of towns and cities where it plans to open stores in the coming months.
In Somerset, it has picked out three stores for Bath – central, south and east – as well as new branches in Cheddar, Keynsham, Nailsea, Shepton Mallet, Weston-super-Mare and Yatton.
The plans come as the German-based chain highlighted 43 communities where it hopes to continue expanding in the coming months as part of a £500 million investment.
Lidl now wants to hear from landowners and agents who may have sites suitable for the new supermarkets.
It is keen to hear about sites with easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow, suitable for stores ranging from 18,000 to 26,500 sq ft in size.
Richard Taylor, chief real estate officer at Lidl GB, said: “This level of investment is a clear sign of our ambition.
“As we enter our fourth decade in Great Britain and hurtle towards a thousand stores, there are still so many parts of the country crying out for convenient access to a Lidl store.
“That’s why we welcome the measures proposed in the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill – they recognise the urgent need to remove barriers to development and support the kind of growth we at Lidl are working towards.
“Our latest site requirements brochure reinforces the scale of our ambition for the future.
“New Lidl stores mean new jobs, new opportunities for British suppliers, and continued investment into local economies.
“We’re proud to be one of the fastest-growing supermarkets in the country, and with this investment, we’re taking another big step in our journey.”
Somerset towns and cities where Lidl wants to open in the next year:
- Bath (x3)
- Cheddar
- Keynsham
- Nailsea
- Shepton Mallet
- Weston-super-Mare
- Yatton
We need a store around the Langport area, all we have is a small Tesco. The surrounding area has developed rapidly and still expanding. We have to drive to Lidl, no local.
Tesco is always running out of stock, as it is small, and expensive, dont want to buy 3 items to get a reasonable price or fiddle around with points. Just value for money.