Lidl Romania To Accelerate Expansion With €285m Investment

This budget – 56% higher than that of the previous financial year – will fund the opening of over 40 new stores, accelerating Lidl’s growth across Romania.

The expansion aims to strengthen Lidl’s presence in both major cities and smaller towns, ESM Magazine reports.

This initiative is also expected to boost the local economy by creating approximately 1,000 jobs and increasing procurement from Romanian suppliers.

This marks an accelerated phase in Lidl’s development, to open 200 new stores by 2030 (relative to the 2024 reference year).

Over the past two years (March 2024 to February 2026), 41 new stores have opened, bringing the national total to 392.

Lidl’s Economic Impact

Lidl’s economic impact in Romania is substantial.

A KPMG analysis from 2024 indicates that Lidl’s operations contributed €2.31 billion to the economy’s gross value added, representing roughly 0.65% of the national GDP.

Furthermore, each job at Lidl indirectly supports approximately six other positions, contributing to nearly 90,000 jobs nationwide.

The new stores will adhere to high energy-efficiency and sustainability standards.

The units will vary in size, ranging from 1,400- to 1,700-square-metre units to more compact 1,100-square-metre models.

The network expansion also directly benefits local businesses.

Lidl currently collaborates with over 500 Romanian suppliers and spent over €2.16 billion with them in 2024.

The planned 1,000 new roles will further bolster a current workforce of over 14,000 employees.

José Alberto Chueca, CEO of Lidl Romania, commented, “The fact that our expansion plan for 2026 has a budget 56% higher than last year’s reflects the confidence that Lidl has in the potential of the local market and our commitment to offering Romanians high-quality products at unbeatable prices.”