German retailer Lidl will build its first 20 stores in Serbia across 2016 and 2017, the representatives for the company have announced at a meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić.
According to Lidl Serbia CEO, Dragan Čigoja, the first “test” retail outlet has already been built in Smederevo and a distribution center in Nova Pazova will be completed by May 2017.
After that, all Lidl outlets in Serbia – which will employ around 1,000 people – are expected to open in 2017. The company also has long-term plans to open 100 stores in the country.
For his part, Serbian PM Vučić said that the Lidl chain will enable Serbian producers to export to countries around the world.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Croatia, Lidl has opened its 89th store, located in the municipality of Viškovo near Rijeka.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
