Australia's supermarket sector is set to welcome a major new player in the shape of German discount giant Lidl, according to reports.
Lidl, which this week scooped the Grocer of the Year award in the UK, is ranked as the fourth largest retailer in the world by Deloitte and is reported to be readying for a play in the grocery market Down Under.
The Australian press reports that Lidl, which boasts $128 billion in annual sales, has applied for a wide range of home brand trademarks and has been in contract negotiations with logistics suppliers as it prepares to make its move in the country.
The move is set to put pressure on its long term rival Aldi, which first opened in Australia in 2001 and now has 370 stores around the country, as well domestic heavyweights Coles and Woolworths.
Australian consumer group Choice has welcomed the news of another discount chain opening in Australia.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Andrew Jennings.
