Lidl Bulgaria plans to add at least 10 stores to its network in 2025 as it continues to implement its growth plan. As of the end of 2024, the retailer operated around 134 stores.
The first two new stores have already opened in Burgas and Ruse, with eight more to follow by the end of the year.
The expansion targets both major cities, such as Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas, and smaller towns currently without a Lidl presence, like Aytos, Septemvri, and Kostinbrod.
Each new store represents an investment of BGN 10–18 million (€5-9 million), including land, construction, and equipment. The company will also create approximately 200 permanent jobs and around 140 seasonal positions, primarily in coastal areas.
Lidl highlighted that this expansion benefits customers by offering more choice, convenient locations, and affordable, quality products, while positively impact the local labour markets.
Furthermore, the company has also pledged to modernise existing stores with features like self-checkout and investment in energy efficiency measures such as solar panels and EV charging stations.
Lidl Takes Top Spot
Lidl has surpassed Kaufland to become Bulgaria's top grocery retailer by revenue in 2024, according to Capital magazine, ending Kaufland's 13-year reign.
While exact figures remain undisclosed, both retailers generated close to BGN 3 billion (€1.5 billion) in gross turnover. Lidl's rapid expansion, including nearly double the store count of Kaufland, contributed to this shift.
Capital noted that in 2023, the revenue difference between the two retail chains was only BGN 160 million (€82 million), with Kaufland leading at BGN 2.4 billion (€1.2 billion).
Given market growth of 7–10%, both likely exceeded BGN 2.5 billion (€1.3 billion) in 2024.
Schwarz Group, the parent company of both Lidl and Kaufland, now has a combined revenue exceeding BGN 5 billion (€2.5 billion) in Bulgaria.
Billa currently holds the third position in the market with around BGN 1.2 billion (€613 million) in revenue.
In other retail news from Bulgaria, BGK, the owner of the smallest grocery chain, Minimart, has obtained €25 million in funding to support its expansion and day-to-day operations.
