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| Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG | |
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| Type | German Multi-National |
| Founded | 1930s |
| Headquarters | Neckarsulm, Germany |
| Key people | Dieter Schwarz, Chairman and CEO Gunter Fergen CEO Michael Dönherp CFO |
| Industry | Retail (Grocery) |
| Products | Mainly own brand, with a few larger and regional brands |
| Revenue | $ 45.9 billion (2005)[1] |
| Slogan | Where quality is cheaper |
| Website | www.lidl-info.com |
Lidl is a European discount supermarket chain of German origin that operates 7,000 stores. In Germany it is Aldi's main competitor. The full name of the company is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG. It belongs to the holding company Schwarz, which also owns the store chains Handelshof and Kaufland. Lidl has established itself in over 17 countries. It was founded in the 1930s by a member of the Schwarz family; then called Schwarz Lebensmittel-Sortimentsgrosshandlung. In the 1970s, the first Lidl stores of today's incarnation opened. Lidl is not an abbreviation, but the last name of Ludwig Lidl, a retired teacher. In 1930, Josef Schwarz became a partner in Südfrüchte Grosshandel Lidl & Co., a fruit wholesaler, and he developed the company into a general food wholesaler. In 1977, under his son Dieter Schwarz, Lidl&Schwarz began to focus on discount markets, larger supermarkets, and cash and carry wholesale markets. The first Lidl discount store was opened in 1973, copying the Aldi concept. In 1977, the Lidl chain comprised 30 discount stores. Dieter Schwarz's problem was that he could not just start using the Lidl name. As Schwarz Markt (Black Market) did not seem as a good idea, he bought the right to use the Lidl name from Ludwig for 1000 marks.
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Dispute over pronunciation
There is some dispute of the pronunciation of the name Lidl. Many people believe that it is pronounced /ˈlɪdəl/ "lid-el"; however most television advertisements for the chain contain a jingle pronouncing the Store's name /ˈliːdəl/ "lee-dull", which is the German pronunciation. This dispute may have arisen because many of Lidl's European business activities are coordinated (especially customer support centres) from Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.
Criticism of Lidl treatment of staff
Trade unions in Germany and other countries have repeatedly criticised Lidl for mistreatment of workers, breach of European directives on working time and other abuses. These have been published in the "Black Book on the Schwarz Retail Company" published in Germany and now available in English.[2]. The Guardian in the UK amongst other allegations has reported that Lidl spies on its workforce with cameras, makes extensive notes on employee behaviour, particularly focusing on attempting to sack female workers who might become pregnant and also forces staff at warehouses to do "piece-rate" work which is now illegal in the EU. Lidl management denied the charges. No public information is given on the Lidl website about how to contact Lidl senior management and the company hides its ownership structure behind an elaborate network of front companies.[3]
Countries with Lidl branches
Current
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Planned
Romania (2007-2009) [4]
Canada [5]
Bulgaria (postponed as of May 2006) [6]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Latvia
Lithuania
Switzerland [7]
Competitors
- Aldi (7,000 stores)
- Netto (1,200 stores)
- Penny Market (Europe) [1]
- Plus [2]
- Dia (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil)
- Hardi (Slovenia only)
References
- ^ Aldi abgehängt?. SPIEGEL Online (2006-01-16). Retrieved on 2006-01-17.
- ^ Black Book on Lidl in English (pdf).
- ^ "Cheap - but not so cheerful? An analysis of Lidl.", The Guardian, March 14 2007.
- ^ (Romanian) Meciul dintre discounterii Aldi si Lidl se muta in arena romaneasca. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
- ^ Every Lidl Hurts (March 2005). Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
- ^ (Bulgarian) Германската верига 'Лидл' замразява проекта си в България. Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
- ^ (German) Immobiliengesuche Schweiz. Lidl Schweiz. Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
External links
Corporate site
- Official homepage (includes links to national sites)
Data
Critical references
- Every Lidl Hurts
- Ver.di's black book (German)
- Lidl demanded that Czech and Polish women workers wear special headbands during their monthly periods
- German hard discounter exposed as bad employer and threat to consumers and suppliers
- Lidl staff ‘Afraid to Complain’?
- Current stores number
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| "Big Four" | Asda • Morrisons • Sainsbury's • Tesco |  |
| Major chains | The Co-operative Group • Marks & Spencer • Somerfield • Waitrose | |
| Convenience stores | Budgens • Costcutter • Londis • Nisa Today's • SPAR • Premier Stores | |
| Discount chains | Aldi • FreshXpress • Lidl • Netto | |
| Frozen foods | Farmfoods • Iceland | |
