Food exports from Lidl Portugal accounted for 1.9% of the country's total food exports to the European Union in 2022, according to a study conducted by KPMG.
The Study of the Impact of Lidl Exports on the National Economy also revealed that on a direct and indirect level, these exports generated €245 million (up 12% compared to 2021) in the sectors associated with the production of these products.
In financial year 2022, the discounter sourced products from more than 100 Portuguese suppliers, exporting over 200 SKUs to 29 countries, with Germany, Spain and France being the main markets.
The top three export categories included fruit and vegetables, at 26,200 tonnes, up 20% year-on-year; wines and liquors, at 6.9 million litres, up 34% year-on-year; and canned vegetables, at 22,600 thousand tonnes, up 169% year-on-year.
Categories in which exports more than doubled include delicatessen products (+435%), cheese (+253%) and fish and canned fish (+230%).
'Supporting National Producers'
Bruno Pereira, purchasing manager at Lidl Portugal said, "Lidl's exports continue to grow in a sustained manner, which makes us very proud. The results of the KPMG study clearly show our contribution to the national economy, by supporting national producers and promoting the quality of Portuguese products around the world.
"In a challenging year such as 2022, marked by the Ukraine-Russia conflict and a scenario of rising inflation, we helped to export more than 200 national products and to create almost 5,000 jobs through exports alone. These are numbers that leave us very satisfied."
The study also revealed that last year, for every euro spent on products destined for export, €1.87 was generated in the Portuguese economy.
Around 78% of the suppliers exporting through Lidl are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the turnover associated with exports facilitated by the discounter generated 364 new jobs in 2022.
Pedro Silva, director of KPMG Portugal added, "We started from the value of exports and, using a widely tested methodology, which not only assesses the direct impact of Lidl's contribution, but also the indirect and induced impact on the other sectors of the Portuguese economy, we were able to characterise Lidl's importance in boosting Portuguese exports."
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
