Lidl is a German international discount supermarket chain that operates over 10,000 stores across Europe and the United States. It is the largest member of the Schwarz Group, which also owns the hypermarket chain Kaufland. Lidl was founded in 1930 by Josef Schwarz. The first Lidl store was opened in 1973, and the company now has over 3,000 stores in Germany.
Lidl has been expanding rapidly in recent years, with plans to open 2,500 new stores across Europe by 2020.
The company has also been investing heavily in online shopping, with a view to becoming a major player in the e-commerce market. Lidl is currently the third-largest grocery retailer in Germany, behind only Aldi and Edeka.
So who is the owner of Lidl? The majority stake in Lidl is owned by the Schwarz Group, which is controlled by the family of founder Josef Schwarz. However, a significant minority stake (30%) is owned by KKR, a US private equity firm. KKR acquired its stake in Lidl in 2010 for €1.1 billion.
The owner of Lidl is the Schwarz Group, which is controlled by the family of founder Josef Schwarz.