Lidl is a German supermarket chain that has stores in nearly every country in Europe. It is the fifth-largest retailer in the world with over 11,000 stores in 27 countries. Lidl has been expanding rapidly in recent years, and its aggressive expansion plans have led to it being nicknamed “the Walmart of Europe.”
Lidl’s name is pronounced “lee-dell,” with the emphasis on the first syllable. The company’s logo is a yellow lion on a green background, and its slogan is “Lecker, billiger, besser” (“tastier, cheaper, better”).
Lidl was founded in 1930 by Josef Schwarz, who opened a small grocery store in Essen, Germany. The company grew slowly at first, but after World War II it began to expand rapidly.
In 1973, Lidl opened its first store outside of Germany, in Austria. By the early 1990s, Lidl had stores in nearly every country in Europe.
Lidl’s expansion plans have been aggressive in recent years. In 2015, the company announced that it would be opening 2,500 new stores by 2020. This would make Lidl the largest retailer in Europe.
Lidl has been criticized for its low wages and poor working conditions. In 2015, a BBC investigation found that Lidl workers in the UK were paid an average of £8.20 per hour, which is below the minimum wage of £9 per hour for workers over 25 years old. Lidl has also been accused of using zero-hours contracts, which do not guarantee workers a minimum number of hours per week.
Despite these criticisms, Lidl continues to be a popular retailer among budget-conscious shoppers. In 2017, Lidl was named the “Fastest Growing Supermarket” in the UK by Kantar Worldpanel.
How do you pronounce Lidl? The German supermarket chain is pronounced “lee-dell,” with the emphasis on the first syllable.
