The grocer Lidl is increasingly pushing into the inner cities. The discounter has now opened a market on the Düsseldorfer shopping mile Königsallee ("Kö").
The company's relatively small branch with only 700 square meters of retail space is aimed primarily at quick shopping when passing by. In addition Lidl wants to attract beside the local residents also the numerous office workers in the area in their lunch break.
Competition for Aldi
For the coming years Lidl plans to open new locations throughout Germany. One sees potential particularly in the metropolises, but also in the rural area. At present, the store network comprises around 3200 stores.
For the new branch on the "Kö" there is no closure elsewhere. According to data from the retail research institute EHI Retail Institute, the average sales area of the Lidl stores is just under 900 square meters with an upward trend.
Aldi Süd had already opened a market on the "Kö" five years ago and pointed out that the noble address itself was only a side effect. Lidl sees the direct competition on the "Kö" to the Aldi market just meters away sporty: "More dealers rather mean that the attraction of this site as a whole still increases," said a Lidl spokesman.