It has been reported that budget supermarket Lidl is to give 150 of its 629 stores a face lift to include customer toilets, self-checkout tills and baby changing facilities.
The investment, costing £1.5billion will also see around 40-50 new stores opening a year an increase from the 30-40 that were previously planned.
The first store to get its face lift was Rushden, Northamptonshire where customers walked in to find wider aisles, higher ceilings, a sizeable bakery and a dark green wood-panelled decor.
Bryan Roberts from analysis firm Kantar, said: “Lidl is definitely chasing a more upmarket clientele as well as its traditional shopper base. The worry is that it is adding costs and complexity into a model where the heritage has always been being brutally efficient with a very narrow [range of products]. Arguably, the distinction between a supermarket and a discounter is ebbing away.”
Lidl UK’s board director of property and expansion, Ingo Fischer also commented: “The new stores would improve efficiency and help streamline the group’s processes. “This forms a key part of our business model, which enables us to keep prices low and the quality of our products high.”
As well as the face lift, Lidl will be helping the environment as well by having 50% more energy-efficient LED lights, recycled heat from the refrigerators to help reduce CO2 emissions and sensor-controlled blinds in the summer to keep customers and staff cool.
