Major supermarket chain with 960 stores to close popular branch for good
LIDL has confirmed one of its city centre branches is closing for good after trading for over two decades.
The discount supermarket said an outlet in Aberdeen will shut up shop around the time of its 25th anniversary.
The lease on the Mastrick site on Lang street is ending this year – and the landlord has different plans for it.
A Lidl spokesperson said: “Whilst we’ve tried to negotiate, the landlord unfortunately has other plans for the site.”
The discount shop is expected to close in July next year and bosses are now on the lookout for alternative locations for a new store in the area.
A spokesperson for the German store said: “We can confirm that the lease of our Mastrick store on Lang Stracht is coming to an end.”
Staff will be “redeployed” to other branches in the city, such as on Inverurie Road and Hutcheon street.
Many locals took to social media to express their disappointment over the shop’s closure.
One commenter wrote: “Let them have the land for crying out loud. Lidl on Lang Stracht is a vital part of the community in that area. It offers a great service to the people round about.
“Not everyone can afford massive shopping trips further afield nor the travel expenses that come with shopping elsewhere.“
Another said: “This store will be sadly missed!”
One user quipped: “Vape shop, coming”.
Lidl said its team had been in “continuous dialogue” with the council about the patch of land for years.
“Our dedicated property team are keen to continue their engagement with the council to conclude negotiations,” a spokesperson added.
It is believed however that the local authority pulled back after saying it was a bad time to sell as the market rate is “very low”.
This comes as an outlet in Edinburgh announced in June it would be closing this winter.
Lidl said that due to a surge in popularity and the aging nature of the supermarket on Drum Street, Gilmerton, it was looking to expand into new premises.
Due to the format of the building, which is also attached to an Iceland store, it is “unfortunately not suitable for redevelopment” and it is also coming to the end of its lease.
On hearing the news, one fan of the store posted on Facebook that they were “devastated” to learn it was closing down.
Earlier this year Lidl bosses also revealed that the chain was looking to open hundreds of new locations.
Lidl is also looking at retail parks, as well as metropolitan in London and M25.
The full list, which includes 1,168 locations, includes sites across all areas of Great Britain, including 66 in Scotland, 83 in Yorkshire, 83 in central England, 91 in south London, and 42 in south-mid Wales.
The retailer has a target of 1,100 stores by the end of 2025.
Lidl store closures
Lidl first closed and relocated a few shops in the spring of 2023.
A few closures were due to the poor condition of the buildings and bosses deeming them unfit for purpose, while others came after opening replacement stores elsewhere.
Any workers affected by the changes were offered roles at alternative locations.
2023 closures:
- Drayton Road, Mile Cross – April 30, 2023
- Sturry Road, Canterbury – May 28, 2023
- Forton Road, Gosport – May 28, 2023
- The Quadrant in Redditch town centre – summer 2023
- Barrhead, Glasgow – September 28, 2023
- Beckenham, Bromley – November 2023
2024 closures:
- Paignton, Devon – February 4, 2024
- Kentish Town, London – February 11, 2024
- Bradford – February 29, 2024
- Layland, Lancashire – February 29, 2024
- Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees – February 29, 2024
- High Street, Hanham, Bristol – March 1, 2024
- Wells, Somerset (will reopen in February 2025 after a renovation) – March 30, 2024