At least 250 stores in the medium term Lidl Switzerland plans to create 300 new jobs per year

The retailer Lidl has announced 300 new jobs per year in Switzerland. The store network is to grow by more than 60 locations in the medium term, as the head of Lidl Switzerland, Nicholas Pennanen, said in an interview with CH Media.

The number of new jobs depends on the size of a store, Pennanen said in the interview published on Thursday. On average, the retailer expects to create 20 to 25 new jobs per store. Including logistics, around 300 new jobs would therefore be created each year, said the country manager.

The discounter recently opened its 186th store. "In the medium term, a network of at least 250 stores is realistic," said Pennanen. A double-digit number of new stores should be added every year. "That could be ten in one year, fifteen in another," said the Lidl Switzerland boss. The company is therefore sticking to the expansion course it announced last year.

Difficult search for locations

The retailer has its sights set on the major cities. However, there are also white spots in rural areas and in western Switzerland. Finding a location in Switzerland is "quite difficult", said Pennanen.

Other retailers, such as Aldi, Migros and Coop, have also announced their intention to expand their store network in Switzerland. This does not seem to bother Pennanen, as was clear from the interview. "In the end, it's good for customers, because they have more choice," he said.