Lidl GB has confirmed that it will be opening three new supermarkets in Richmond, Putney and Tooting on Thursday 25th February. The stores will generate around 80 new jobs for the South London area.
The new store in Richmond, located on Richmond Road, is an exciting development that, in a first for Lidl, will have a primary school situated above it. Deer Park Primary School, which has spent the past two years searching for a suitable new location, will now have a permanent home after construction was completed this week.
The new school will welcome over 230 pupils in April and includes 16 classrooms, outdoor learning space and an on-site, multiuse games area.
Elsewhere in London, new stores have also opened in Putney, located on Putney High Street and Tooting, located on Upper Tooting Road. The new supermarket in Tooting is replacing the existing one on the same road, which will close for the final time at 6pm on Tuesday 23rd February, with all existing staff retained. All of the new stores will feature facilities including instore bakeries and ample parking for both cars and bicycles to meet customer demand.
Lidl GB’s Regional Head of Property, Henry Neel, commented: “It is fantastic that despite the challenging circumstances we have been able to continue our investment in South London and enable even more of the local community access to our high quality and affordable produce. I would like to welcome the students of Deer Park Primary School to their new home when they make the move this Easter, and to thank everyone who has played a part in delivering this ambitious development.
“These exciting new store openings demonstrate we’re embracing the wide range of locations that London has to offer to deliver our fresh, quality and great value produce to even more local communities. It is great for us to be able to create more jobs for these areas, and support so many fantastic charities at this time.”
The new stores form part of Lidl’s commitment to expansion in London, announced last year, as it looks to invest £500m in new stores across the capital over the next five years, creating around 1,400 jobs. The hat trick of new store openings follows the opening of a new Hackbridge store earlier this month.
Surplus food and customer donations from the new stores will also benefit a number of local charities who work to redistribute them to some of the most vulnerable in our communities. This includes Richmond Advice and Information on Disability, The Islamic Culture and Education Centre Battersea and Ronald McDonald House Tooting. This is delivered through Lidl’s successful Feed it Back scheme, which is run alongside its charity partner, Neighbourly.
As per government guidance, the wearing of face coverings in supermarkets is mandatory across England. Lidl is operating a range of social distancing measures to help maintain a safe environment for both colleagues and customers. Customers are encouraged to pay by contactless payment where possible.
