Germany: 300 new stores at Lidl and Kaufland; Schwarz Group continues to grow
- DRC Discount Retail Consulting GmbH
- 21 hours ago
- 2 min read
Discount Retail Chain Lidl`s mother company Neckarsulm-based Schwarz Group has continued its growth in Germany. However, not as strongly as recently.
The Schwarz Group, based in Neckarsulm (Heilbronn district), opened 300 new Lidl and Kaufland stores worldwide last fiscal year. The group announced this. With this growth, new jobs are also being created. The Schwarz Group has created around 20,000 new positions, 4,000 of them in Germany. Even in a time of global uncertainty, the group has been able to grow and continue investing in Germany as a business location and in a digitally sovereign Europe, said Schwarz CEO Gerd Chrzanowski.
Significant Investments by the Schwarz Group
Despite the tense economic situation, the group invested around €3.3 billion in Germany. According to the company, the money was primarily invested in new stores, the expansion of warehouse locations, and the capacity of data centers in Europe. In the current fiscal year, investments of €3.7 billion are planned in Germany. Sales at Lidl and Kaufland are no longer growing as rapidly
The group's total sales increased by 4.9 percent to €175.4 billion. However, in 2023, growth was still 8.5 percent. For example, the group's online sales are stagnating. Sales growth at Kaufland and Lidl also did not grow as strongly as in previous years.
In Germany, Lidl sees itself as the industry leader among discounters. However, according to a study by the market research company Nielsen IQ, the Schwarz Group ranked third in the German food retail sector last year, behind the Edeka and Rewe groups.
The Schwarz Group
The Schwarz Group, headquartered in Neckarsulm (Heilbronn district), has 595,000 employees worldwide. It is a leading international retail group with around 14,200 stores. In the 2024 financial year, the Schwarz Group companies generated total sales of 175.4 billion euros. With their ecosystem, they cover the entire value chain: from production and trade to recycling and digitalization. Lidl and Kaufland form the pillars of the food retail sector and are represented in 32 countries.
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