Lidl is a German chain of discount supermarkets that has worldwide operations, including in the UK. The company has more than 9,000 stores in different parts of Europe and has its head offices in Livingston for its UK operations.
History
Lidl was created in the 1930s and was originally a wholesale grocery business. The business was started in Germany by the Schwarz family. The first store put up by the family was called “Schwarz Assorted Wholesale Foods.” The name Lidl was the surname of the Schwarz’ former partner in business, Ludwig Lidl and Schwarz bought the rights to the store’s name.
The first stores that were already named Lidl were opened in 1973. The stores had a similar concept with those of Aldi stores. By 1977, there were 33 discount stores in the country. All of these retail stores were kept as small as possible and products that did not sell were removed from the shelves. This system worked fine with its customers, which is why the number of Lidl stores grew.
By the 1980s, the stores had become a popular household name throughout Germany. By the 1990s, Lidl started its expansion plan by opening stores outside of the country. By 1994, Lidl retail stores were operating in the UK.
Currently, Lidl has over 580 stores throughout the United Kingdom and has become the closest competitor of Aldi in the area of discount retailing. Although Lidl in the UK is still considered a minor player in the retail industry (with a market share of more or less 5%), the discount chain is still thought of as one of the important retailers in UK.
Just like Aldi, a majority of the products sold in Lidl stores are private labels, which is why it offers really low prices for its products. Among the brands that Lidl owns are Silvercrest and FAIRGLOBE. The Silvercrest label is for electronic products, while the FAIRGLOBE label is for fair trade food products, which Lidl supports. Even with already having thousands of stores around Europe, Lidl continues to expand, as it still has plans to put up stores in countries like Canada and Mexico.
Headquarters: Livingston,UK
Ownership Type: Private
Employees: about 690
Geography: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Switzerland
Demography: quantity consumers, quality consumers
Brands
FAIRGLOBE®, Silvercrest®
Important links
Lidl Corporate Home Page
Promotions and Coupons
Products
Jobs and Careers
Lidl Contact Information
I would like to know why, as someone who uses crutches, I am forced to either use a hugely deep trolley which I cannot reach into, a shallow trolley designed for wheelchair users that I keep catching my feet on, or a basket which I cannot pull behind me since I cannot walk on one crutch alone? What is your problem with shallow trolleys for people who don’t need to use wheelchairs?
Hello please would you tell me why your lovely scones have been taken off the shelves at your harlow Essex branch,they are very tastie and I am told sold very well.
Please reintroduce asap.
Many thanks P Thomson
Can you please put the shallow trolleys in all stores, I regularly use three local shops. two have shallow trolleys, in the third shop at Hayle in Cornwall I have trouble leaning into the deep trolley, they are no good for pensioners.
I wonder if you can help one of your shop at soho-road, in birmingham if they can put back a shaving stick call shark on the shelve please. for the past six month. thx
I recently ate your Special Muesli in the blue package in Ireland and would like to buy it in the United States. Is there a store in Texas where I could purchase this product?
I use the Scunthorpe store on a regular basis and it has a really deep pothole just as you drive in and out which has been growing for quite a long time.
I pointed this out to two of the staff and was told it was “not their problem”.
If it is on your land surely it is your problem as it will put people off shopping at your store.
Could you please investigate this and hopefully deal with it.
I have been buying your product from my local shops in England and sending them by cargo to Lagos to test the market for the past three years. This is somehow an expensive way to do business, but I wanted to see if your products will go well with my customers and it has really done extremely well. I never have enough goods to meet my customers demands. I sell on wholesale basis and the interest has exceeded my expectation.
I am ready to go the next level and would be grateful if you could provide me with information of how I can take Lidl over to Lagos and supply goods directly from yourselves.
Please provide as much information as possible
Regards
M. Ogbogu
I live in Kings Lynn and as you have a Lidl Store nearby, would be interested in any vacancies which you may have available.
thank you
V.Wilson
I understand that Lidl accept credit cards in Scotland, Wales and London and I would like to know why this has not beeen rolled out to all Lidl stores in the UK. I use a credit card to give me store points to exchange for goods at christmas and when I spend in Lidl stores, which is 3 0r 4 times a week, I lose out because I have to use my debit card, Please consider this as I lose about £60 per year.
I obtained a Silver Crest Coffee Maker from your store in Leeds on Selby Road and it stopped working, you have been informed many times about this and you have done nothing to replace it. How many more times do I have to tell you about this matter, or is this the standard of Lidl UK?
Have you taken this back to the store from which it was purchased? Reading your gripe it certainly doesn’t sound as though you have. Don’t just post a message on the site, take it back the store from which it was purchased! I am sure that they will either replace this, or refund you!
One other point. Had the item you purchased been excellent, and you had no problems with this, would you have written a message extolling its virtues? I, for one, think not!
Boom! Roasted