Supermarket chain Lidl has confirmed plans to open hundreds of new stores across the UK, with a focus on town centres, retail parks and standalone sites.
In its autumn 2025 site requirements brochure, the discounter lists 57 cities, towns and villages in Wales where the company feels there are gaps in its provision. Some have been on the list for a while.
Targets includes 11 sites in North Wales. Some are places where store relocations are preferred. Others are new sites and in some instances extra stores are planned in places with existing provision.
Major expansion is planned in cities like Chester, where three more sites are needed. Seven sites are required in Cardiff and, in Liverpool, Lidl’s wish-list extends to 14 new locations.
In contrast, only two sites are needed in the whole of Mid Wales – at Welshpool and Builth Wells (or Llandrindod Wells).
Lidl GB already has more than 980 UK stores and is “hurtling” towards the 1,000 figure. The company has been buoyed by measures proposed in the UK Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill designed to remove barriers to development.
Richard Taylor, chief development officer, said: “There are still so many parts of the country crying out for convenient access to a Lidl store.” Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
The company is looking for locations that meet its standard store requirements, These include unit sizes between 18,000 and 26,500 sq ft and a minimum of 100 dedicated car parking spaces.
Plots of 1.5 acres for standalone stores are needed – or up to four acres for mixed-use developments.
Prominent locations with strong pedestrian or traffic flows are preferred: these can be town centre or edge-of-town sites such as retail parks. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
For London and the M25 corridor alone, Lidl is aiming for around 100 additional stores. Here, the requirements differ slightly, including flexible formats in shopping centres, high streets and retail parks. These can be with or without car parking but must be near key public transport links.
Below is Lidl’s updated list of locations in North Wales where Lidl is planning new stores.
