Hungary: Lidl launches its first mobile stores
- DRC Discount Retail Consulting GmbH
- Nov 15, 2025
- 3 min read
Discount Retail Chain Lidl Hungary wants to reach customers from small towns and rural areas. The chain is increasingly setting up full-fledged retail outlets in such locations, but now it is launching a new initiative: stores on four wheels that will reach places where residents are many kilometers away from the nearest supermarkets. The project has just started in Hungary, and if it proves successful, it will most likely be transplanted to other countries.
During one of my field visits, on the way between two stores, a question arose in me: how could we reach people living in smaller towns, where there are no Lidl stores, and shopping is often difficult? From this the idea was born, and a few weeks later, with a team of ten enthusiastic people, we started working on our mobile store project "Lidl on four wheels", recalls Zita Szlavikovics, CEO Lidl Hungary.
This project has just seen the light of day. Lidl in the car version has embarked on a 25-day tour and has already visited the first towns, and ultimately this autumn it will reach 48 rural locations in Hungary (this is the first country where Lidl has launched mobile stores). Thanks to this, the discount chain will reach about 28,000 people, who are even 20-30 km away from the nearest supermarkets, we read in the "European Supermarket Magazine".
The mobile Lidl will travel in a "convoy" - it will be accompanied by a delivery vehicle, which is to enable quick replenishment of stocks. Mobile stores are to operate every day, usually coming to one or two towns and staying there for a few hours. Locals will find Lidl on four wheels, usually in the main square or near the church. Visits to the unusual Lidl will even be reported by... local authorities.
"It is incredibly inspiring to see how much joy and curiosity this new solution arouses among the residents. Some came just to watch, others specifically to shop, and the children watched the new attraction of their village with interest", says Zita Szlavikovics, summarizing the visit at the second stop on the route of the mobile Lidl (the town of Lovas).
Modest assortment of mobile Lidl
Only 80 products will be available for purchase in Lidl's mobile stores. The assortment includes fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy, dry products and frozen foods. The prices are to be identical to those in the regular discount stores of the German chain in Hungary.
As we read, the chain wants not only to reach the inhabitants of the villages, but also "to allow them to get to know Lidl products", which they may not associate due to their distance from stationary stores. Lidl declares that the project has been constructed in such a way as not to cannibalize sales in physical stores.
According to "ESM", as many as 70 employees of the Hungarian Lidl were involved in the entire project. These are people responsible, among m.in, for concept development, logistics and customer service. Each minibus will be managed by two or three employees on site.
After the end of the autumn tour, Lidl will summarize the first edition of the project and decide whether it is worth repeating it next spring.
Lidl is nothing compared to ABC on Wheels
Szlavikovics, quoted by ESM, expressed hope that other retail chains will follow in Lidl's footsteps by launching their own mobile stores. Let us recall that in Poland, the Eurocash Group launched a similar initiative years ago. We are talking about ABC on Wheels.
In March 2022, there were about 130 mobile stores serving rural areas, and the plans for the development of the initiative were bold. However, two years later, the number of ABC stores on Wheels dropped to 65.
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