West12 shopping centre
Supermarket chain Lidl has begun work on its new store in West12 shopping centre after confirming it is to take its main ground-floor unit.
Forty new jobs will be created when the 1,245sqm sales area opens in February. It comes after Hammersmith & Fulham Council lobbied on behalf of residents to keep a community supermarket in the centre.
“Confirmation of Lidl’s opening in West12 is welcome news,” said Cllr Andrew Jones, H&F Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration. “The 40 new jobs that will be created are vital for the local economy – but just as important is the boost this will give the centre as a whole.”
News of the building work in Shepherds Bush Green emerged this week after Lidl exchanged contracts with Landsec, which owns West12. “The full fit-out of the existing unit is expected to take six months, with a view to opening in early 2018,” confirmed Lidl.
Lidl already has 670 stores in the UK, with the German-owned supermarket chain planning 250 more stores within the M25 in an expansion programme towards a target of 1,500 in the UK.
“It marks another milestone in our ambitious store expansion programme,” said Shane O’Farrell, Lidl UK regional head of property. “We’re delighted to be opening a new store in Shepherds Bush.”
Lidl was crowned best supermarket of 2016 by Good Housekeeping magazine readers, encouraged that it supports British fruit and veg producers.
It is the fastest growing supermarket chain, with 5.3 per cent of the UK market share and sales growth of 19.2 per cent year on year. Lidl is investing £1.45billion in new stores in the next two years.
Residents with long memories will recall that the unit began life as Presto, eventually becoming Safeway, then Morrisons on the route to its new incarnation as Lidl.
