Lidl is opening 25 new stores this year creating 1,000 UK jobs

Lidl will open 25 new stores over the next six months and create 1,000 jobs in the process.

The new stores will be spread across England, Scotland and Wales.

The company said: "The discounter is committed to fulfilling its ambitious store opening programme, despite disruption to construction amid the coronavirus pandemic."

The discount retailer also plans to invest £1.3 billion next year and in 2022 with 100 new stores opening and 4,000 jobs created.

The aim is to have 1,000 stores in the UK by the end of 2023.

Lidl chief executive officer Christian Härtnagel said: “It is testament to the continued hard work of our colleagues that we are able to continue forging ahead with our expansion plans, despite the challenging circumstances that have been faced over the past months.

"I am incredibly grateful to all Lidl teams for their unwavering commitment to keeping the nation fed, and we very much look forward to welcoming more people into the Lidl family in the weeks and months ahead.

“Families up and down the country rely on Lidl for affordable, high quality groceries. With the pandemic affecting household finances, our mission to offer value to as many people as possible is more important than ever and is why we remain committed to our store opening programme.

"With new Lidl stores opening every month, we are offering more communities the opportunity to shop for our great quality products at Lidl prices.”