Lidl offers Scottish shoppers 'finder's fee' for new store locations

Discount supermarket giant Lidl has offered Scottish customers a “finder’s fee” if they can help locate an appropriate site for a new store.

The retailer, which is targeting over 1100 new outlets by 2025, has already identified more than 40 neighbourhoods across Scotland as potential destinations for the new facilities.

Customers are now to be offered either 1.5% of the total freehold purchase price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leaseholds – which could earn them £22,500 for a £1.5m sale.

Bosses say the scheme, which is open to anyone able to find a viable location, must meet a minimum set of guidelines for sizes and car parking availability with space for more than 100 vehicles.

Dundee City Centre, Edinburgh City Centre, Glasgow’s Merchant City and St Andrews are among the suggested locations for the new stores.

The brand also asks for recommendations of areas in “prominent locations” with “easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow.”

Lidl became the sixth largest supermarket in the UK in March this year, according to research by Kantar, amid fearsome competition from fellow rapidly growing retailer Aldi.

Richard Taylor, Lidl GB’s chief development officer, said: “We know that the majority of Scottish shoppers still love doing their shopping in person and we are as committed as ever to opening new stores and enhancing our existing ones.

“But there are still communities up and down the country that are telling us how much they want – and need – a Lidl store.

“We work with some of the best people in the industry to identify new sites, but we also know how engaged our future and existing customers are and we want to build on this.

“Our finder’s fees are, therefore, available to absolutely anyone that can identify a viable option for a new store that we’re not already aware of, and we welcome any suitable suggestions that will help up us to meet our ambitious target of 1100 stores by the end of 2025.”