Lidl opts to close its store in Cowplain

A supermarket giant is closing one of its stores despite spearheading expansion plans elsewhere.

Lidl confirmed that the store in London Road, Cowplain, will be shutting its doors on May 28.

The company has a store in Elettra Avenue, with approval being granted by Havant Borough Council for a new Aldi store, a KFC drive-through restaurant and a drivethrough Costa Coffee in early March.

A Lidl spokeswoman said the Cowplain location is surplus to requirements, and plans to offer alternatives to employees are being looked into. ‘We first opened our store on London Road over 20 years ago and unfortunately, it’s no longer fit for purpose,’ she said.

‘The store will therefore be closing on 28th May and we are looking at redeployment opportunities for colleagues where possible.’ Despite the London Road closure, Lidl is still eyeing up expansion opportunities.

The German retailer welcomed a record number of shoppers to its locations in 2022, reporting a 26 per cent rise in sales. As previously in The News, Lidl GB CEO Ryan McDonnell said they are ‘more committed than ever’ to ensure every household has access to a store.

Multiple new sites have been previously earmarked for Portsmouth, Fareham, Southampton, and other parts of Hampshire and Emsworth. The Lidl spokeswoman said ‘our teams are actively looking for suitable sites in the area for a replacement store’ and are offering a finder’s fee to anyone to identifies a viable location. She added that customers can still access the Elettra Avenue supermarket just over a mile away.