Lidl Portugal is to invest around €110 million in a new logistics warehouse in Loures, in the Lisbon district, which should be completed by the second quarter of 2024, the discounter said.
With 54,000 square metres of gross floor area, equivalent to five football pitches, the property will have a storage capacity for 44,000 pallets, and will supply Lidl stores in Central Portugal.
The new facility will also feature 111 load/unload docks, 265 parking spaces for light vehicles, and 48 truck parking spaces.
Lidl’s new warehouse will be located in a former quarry and dumping site, which ceased operating in 2000.
Read More: Lidl Leads Portuguese Retail Growth In 2022
Sustainable Energy Sources
Elsewhere, the BREEAM-certified warehouse will rely its own sustainable energy sources, enabling a reduction in energy consumption.
The storage facility will have photovoltaic panels with an installed capacity of 2.5 MW, equivalent to the annual consumption of 800 homes.
It will also feature charging points for electric vehicles, systems for capturing and using rainwater, while cold storage chambers will use natural refrigerants.
The new warehouse will be Lidl’s fifth in Portugal, following openings in Santo Tirso, Torres Novas, Palmela and Sintra, which supply 272 stores operated by the discounter in Portugal.
Strong Performer
According to recent Kantar data, Lidl was the strongest performer in the Portuguese retail sector last year, improving its market share from 11.8% to 13.5%, with the discounter attracting shoppers from rival MC Sonae.
Kantar said that Lidl has been gaining ground due to a strategy built primarily around store brands, but also 'a lot of investment' in fresh, organic and eco-friendly products.
Read More: Top 10 Supermarket Retail Chains In Portugal
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
