Lidl plans expansion of 87 new stores in Sweden

Lidl is planning a significant expansion in Sweden, aiming to open up to 87 new stores to increase its market share from 6.3 percent to approximately 10 percent. CEO Jakob Josefsson stated that the company intends to open between seven and ten new stores annually in the coming years.

The expansion will focus on medium-sized Swedish cities, with Örebro, Uppsala, and Linköping identified as key target markets. Lidl currently operates 213 stores in the country and aims to reach a total of 300.

In addition to increasing its physical footprint, Lidl seeks to improve its operating margin from the current 1.5 percent to at least the industry average of 2.5 percent. The company intends to achieve this growth without abandoning its low-price strategy, noting that the presence of discount retailers often forces competitors to lower their prices.