Lidl announce plans for two new stores in Capital

Lidl have announced plans to increase the number of stores. Picture; Greg Mcvean

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The supermarket announced plans for Lidl in the capital in the next 18 months in a bid to continue their commitment to modernise older stores and increase the number of new stores within the city.

It is believed that 135 new jobs will be created.

Lidl’s 92nd Scottish store was opened in Broughton this October and since then planning applications have been approved for an extension to the current store in Leith, leading to 15 new jobs being created as well as a new store in Easter Road leading to up to 40 new jobs.

The build for Easter Road will be the first of its type in Scotland with the store being raised to allow for parking underneath. Building work is scheduled to start in January with a view to opening in February 2018.

Edinburgh’s first “Lidl Of the Future” store, the fifth in Scotland, will open its doors at 8am on Thursday March 9 following a re-location as part of the redevelopment of Craigmillar. The current store first opened in 1999 and has served the community ever since.

The largest Lidl of the Future store in Scotland will be built in the Slateford area of the city and will have a shopfloor area of 1,689m² which is 265m² larger than a standard LOF and over 600m² greater than the average size in Edinburgh. The new store would create up to another 50 new jobs.

Further investment comes as Lidl look to re-build their stores in Haymarket. If planning is approved, the old store would be demolished and replaced with a Lidl of the Future store, creating a further 30 jobs.

Ross Millar, Lidl’s Managing Director in Scotland, said: “We’re proud to have served the people of Edinburgh for over 20 years and this latest announcement highlights our continued commitment to best serving our customers there, as well as creating new jobs for local people”