Lidl Tests Brand-New Store Concept in Belgium
BELGIUM - As it has been seen many times before, the best way to drive growth is to introduce new innovations. Lidl is setting its course for expansion by recently announcing that it will be unveiling a new retail format in the Belgian city of Lokeren. Broken up into “food worlds,” the new store concept will serve as a way to meet the needs of shoppers through quick and easy layout, and inspire them with ingredients for fresh meals.
“We have noticed that customers have been in a hurry in recent years and do not always feel like spending a lot of time on the necessary shopping. Still, they want to eat fresh and healthy food,” said Isabelle Colbrandt, Head of Communication and PR for Lidl Belgium. “With this new test concept, we want to make shopping efficient but pleasant and above all inspire our customers about what is on their plate.”
The new Lidl test store will be opening at Dijkstraat 31 in Lokeren, and was built in a six-month time span, according to a press release. Sitting at just over 16,000 square feet, the store offers a spacious area for consumers to do their shopping.
Lidl also incorporated new decorations for the format that provided a warm atmosphere for those who enter. Using wooden furniture, the new store will bring warmth to not only customers but the 26 employees who have started at the new location.
Upon entering the test store, everything is simply laid out, allowing customers to easily navigate the space. Lidl’s new format offers fresh options like freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh made salads and meals, smoothies, and a large fresh fruit and vegetable selection for shoppers to enjoy. The new concept will continue to spotlight Lidl’s strong focus on providing 100 percent fresh fruits and vegetables in all of its stores.
“We are very pleased to be able to test this new concept for the first time in the second most important city in Waasland. The residents of Lokeren have been familiar with their Lidl for years, and now we offer them a surprising new concept. The first reactions are full of praise. For the time being there are no plans to expand the store concept further to other stores. We want to test it first and measure the experiences of customers and employees,” continued Colbrandt.
The new store layout and concept fall fully in line with Lidl’s strategies to reduce plastics and foodwaste by 2025.
Will this new test concept be the future for all new Lidl stores? Keep a tab opened for AndNowUKnow as we bring you the answers.
