Discount supermarket Lidl has said it will invest half a billion pounds in its UK store expansion.

The announcement comes as the company goes ahead with plans to open over 40 new stores this financial year.

Lidl currently has more than 980 stores, with 14 distribution centres across the UK.

The retailer also announced that it has published its 2025 site requirements brochure, which includes 100s of potential locations for new stores across UK High Streets, retail parks, and mixed-used town centres.

The company's list includes locations in England, Scotland, and Wales, including across London, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, and Bristol.

Lidl also said it expects the completion of construction work on the expansion of its Belvedere warehouse, which has nearly doubled in size, by the end of this financial year.

Additionally, the business plans to begin work on a brand-new distribution centre in Leeds later this year.

“This level of investment is a clear sign of our ambition,” said Richard Taylor, chief real estate officer at Lidl. “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.”

Taylor also praised measures outlined in the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which he said recognise the “urgent need to remove barriers to development” and support the kind of growth Lidl is working towards.

The new Bill aims to speed up the development of new homes and critical infrastructure, supporting plans for fast-tracking 150 planning decisions on major economic infrastructure projects.

In February, Lidl announced it was opening nine new stores over the four-week period following its most successful Christmas season ever.

The discounter opened new shops in locations including Canning Town, Preston and Walsall.

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