Last year, Lidl continued to make a decisive contribution to the economic reactivation of Spain without ever giving up on its purpose of serving and contributing shared value to society through its activities, despite operating in a context still marked by the consequences of the global health crisis.
Lidl spent more than €350 million in last year to move forward with its ambitious plan to expand across Spain. The goal was to get closer to Spanish customers.
In this way, the company has established over 40 retail outlets across Spain and a logistics platform in Nanclares de la Oca (lava), its current reference warehouse for the north. It has begun construction on a new logistics center in Esczar (Granada) and an expansion of its central offices in Montcada I Reixac (Barcelona). Lidl's plan for 2021–2024 includes opening more than 150 new stores and improving the company's logistics network. This is all part of the company's plan to keep growing in the region.
Lidl now operates over 650 stores and 11 distribution centers across Spain.
In 2021, Lidl persisted in its mission to become Spain's primary source of new jobs despite the country's deteriorating economic situation. More than 17,500 people work for the company, which has been able to stimulate the job market and create more than 500 new jobs across the country in just the last five years.
As part of its mission to provide its employees with security and advancement opportunities, Lidl has offered indefinite contracts to 94% of its workforce. In 2021, the company committed an additional 412,000 hours to train its staff, an increase of up to 81% from the previous year. Furthermore, Lidl has actively promoted youth employment through initiatives like the "Alliance for VET: a Country Strategy" promoted by the government and other programs, as well as implementing a groundbreaking project in Spain to formally certify the professional experience of its store managers. For the fifth year in a row, Lidl has been recognized as a "Top Employer" due to these efforts.
Both imports and exports have been very high for a long time, which has helped the GDP reach record levels.
With record purchases of around €5,700 million, 10% more than in 2020, from more than 900 suppliers and exports of more than half to about thirty countries, Lidl has maintained its pivotal role as a powerful platform for distribution of national products. As a result, the firm has spent over €55 billion on Spanish goods since it first set up shop in the country in 1994.
To meet the rising demand for regional products among Spanish consumers, Lidl kept adding more of them to its shelves across the country in 2021, incorporating new regional references and emphasizing the products' quality. In one year, Lidl doubled the local products it sold in Andalusia and added more than a hundred new local products to its Catalonia store.
Merchandise that is both cutting-edge and long-lasting
In 2021, Lidl continued to innovate its assortment by adding more than 150 vegetarian and vegan references to its brand range as part of its commitment to providing customers with an appealing shopping experience and an offer that responds to new consumer trends in the market. Vemondo will drive the category's expansion in Spain thanks to the brand's breadth of selection and affordability.
Additionally, Lidl continued to place chances on sustainable projects in Spain's food supply chain last year, which benefited all involved parties. The supermarket chain, for instance, has recently signed agreements with various agricultural and livestock groups to distribute products that ensure the financial security of thousands of producer families, such as its Traditional Olive EVOO, which is already exported to Europe, and various types of milk from km 0, which are currently marketed in Andalusia and Catalonia.
With Spanish consumer confidence going up, Lidl's net sales went up by 6.6% that year to €5,144,000,000, making it the third largest food distributor in Spain by market share.
Store expansion, new Spanish-made goods, and more jobs are all on tap for 2022. Lidl is pushing forward with its 2022 plans to expand its presence in Spain significantly. Therefore, the firm plans to spend over €360 million on expanding into 40 additional stores and improving its logistics infrastructure, which is in line with spending patterns of recent years. In addition, it intends to increase the volume of imports and exports of national products and create over a thousand new stable and quality jobs.
