Lidl GB has announced it will open more than 50 stores over the next 12 months as part of a £600 million investment in its British infrastructure.

The discounter said the move will create around 2,000 new jobs across the country.

Lidl said that over the summer it will open stores in sites including Abbots Langley near Watford, Warrington in Cheshire, and Thornbury in Gloucestershire.

To support the increase in the number of stores, Lidl said it is also investing in its logistics infrastructure. The company is currently building a new warehouse in Leeds which will begin operations next year. In London, Lidl said it has submitted plans to extend and join its warehouses on its Belvedere distribution site.

Lidl added that the store openings would also support British suppliers. The company stocks two-thirds of its products from British agriculture and food businesses and said it has long-term relationships with firms across the country.

Ryan McDonnell, chief executive at Lidl GB, said that the company wants to positively impact British communities as it grows.

“Our expansion translates directly into high-quality jobs and gives British suppliers the certainty they need to invest in the future,” he added. “Above all, it advances our social purpose of making affordable, healthy food accessible to everyone.”

In order to open more Lidl stores and logistics sites, the supermarket said it is looking for freehold, leasehold or long leasehold properties across Great Britain. Later this month, the supermarket will host more than 150 property partners and agents at a showcase event in London to share its plans for future growth and further strengthen collaboration across the industry.

In January, the supermarket announced it would open 19 UK stores over eight weeks and invest £43 million in refurbishing more than 70 sites.

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl has grown to more than 1,000 stores and 13 distribution centres which employ over 35,000 people.

---