After 20 years Lidl has further plans

The Hungarian subsidiary of the German retail group Lidl plans to significantly expand its store network in the coming years, as CEO Zita Szlavikovics announced at a press conference in Budapest to mark the company’s 20th anniversary. Lidl already has shops in every county and city in the country.

Logistics centre in Kiskunfélegyháza

The shops are currently supplied via four logistics centres. A fifth centre is being built in Kiskunfélegyháza with an investment of 50 billion forints (approx. 120 million euros). The opening is planned for 2026. With around 9,500 employees, Lidl is the ninth largest employer in the country. A survey of 4,000 households conducted by market research company GfK revealed a market share of 20.8% as of September.

Strong export business with Hungarian products

Lidl’s exports of products from Hungarian suppliers abroad rose from 25 million euros in 2016 to 340 million euros last year. In the last five years, Lidl’s gross value added exceeded 1,200 billion forints. The number of Lidl suppliers in Hungary has increased by three quarters in ten years to 485, covering around 60% of the chain’s product range. Lidl Hungary Bt.’s net sales for the financial year to the end of February 2024 totalled 1,159.2 billion forints, compared to 973.5 billion forints in the previous year. The company closed the financial year with a profit of 26.8 billion forints (2022/23: 25.3 billion forints).