Lidl Romania announced a EUR 285 million investment plan for the 2026 financial year aimed at expanding its national network with more than 40 new stores. The expansion budget is 56% higher than the one allocated in 2025 and reflects the company’s accelerated growth strategy in the country.
The retailer said the investment will strengthen its presence in major cities as well as peri-urban areas and smaller towns. The expansion is expected to create around 1,000 new jobs in Romania and increase the volume of products purchased from local suppliers.
According to the company, the investment marks a new phase in the development of Lidl’s store network, which reached 392 locations nationwide at the end of the last financial year.
The company aims to open about 200 new stores in Romania by 2030, compared with its 2024 baseline.
“The fact that our expansion plan for 2026 has a budget 56% higher than last year reflects Lidl’s confidence in the potential of the local market […] The opening of more than 40 new stores will contribute to the local economy and to the development of the entire supply chain by creating new direct and indirect jobs,” said Alberto Chueca, CEO of Lidl Romania.
The new stores, including some developed through demolition and reconstruction projects, will follow energy-efficiency and sustainability standards. They will range from larger units of 1,400–1,700 square meters to more compact formats of about 1,100 sqm, the company said.
The retailer currently collaborates with more than 500 Romanian suppliers and employs over 14,000 people in the country.
Lidl, part of the Schwarz Group, headquartered in Neckarsulm, is one of the leading companies in the food retail market in Germany and Europe. It currently operates around 12,600 stores and more than 230 logistics centers in 31 countries.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
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