Lidl has revealed Rye is on its wish list of possible locations for a new store. The low-cost supermarket announced its half billion pound expansion plans for the UK on Monday, April 28, with a new store in Rye amongst its ambitions.
Potential locations have been listed in a new Lidl brochure which sets out the areas the German company thinks would be good for a new store. It says the wish list of 250 places represents locations which could eventually be developed, rather than confirmed plans or store openings.
While a new store opening in Rye is a long way off and with no detail about possible locations, it still represents a change for Lidl. Eighteen months ago the supermarket chain denied any interest in the town to Rye News.
The brochure says Lidl is looking for prominent locations with easy access in both the centres and outskirts of towns, with space for over a hundred parking spots and strong traffic flow. Fifty plus sites have been identified in Sussex, Kent and Surrey.
Richard Taylor, chief real estate officer at Lidl GB, said: “As we enter our fourth decade in Great Britain and hurtle towards a thousand stores, there are still so many parts of the country crying out for convenient access to a Lidl store. That’s why we welcome the measures proposed in the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill – they recognise the urgent need to remove barriers to development and support the kind of growth we at Lidl are working towards.”
Lidl is now appealing to landowners and land agents to come forward with potential sites and is offering what it describes as “a competitive finder’s fee structure” for a “previously unseen site”.
The news comes as rival store Aldi anxiously awaits news from National Highways. The agency has said no planning permission should be granted for Aldi’s planned supermarket on Winchelsea Road in Rye until access arrangements are improved. Proposals for the new store, along with homes and retirement housing, were submitted in 2023 and are currently with planners at Rother District Council.
Image Credits: Lidl .
Well we are now stuck for the time being with Jempsons who have the monopoly in Rye. Does anyone consider the needs of the residents in Rye and surrounding areas.
We talk about going green, but I suspect many who shop get in their cars to shop outside rye. Jempsons potentially could do the right thing by opening on Sunday and lower their prices. Quite frankly the entrance to Jempsons is so depressing, shelves stacked up with their own brand of cakes and biscuits, they seem to be on the shelves for months, it gives the impression of just filling space. How many people purchase these products. They could expand the chemist side and other needed products. Not unhealthy stale looking goods.
Rye is being short changed as there is no opposition.
I like Jempsons bakery products.
We would recommend Marian does some research and splashes out and buys some Jempsons cake – we regularly buy their filled swiss role, doughnuts or Eccles cakes especially when expecting visitors or are visiting friends. Jempsons cakes are fresh, well baked and delicious. You get what you pay for, Jempsons produce is not shipped in from Germany like Lidl & Aldi, they are local, by local staff. Staff who, unusually for these days, are reassured they can have Sundays off. Not too much to ask, is it? Their Morrisons range offers a cheaper option. PLUS Jempsons actively support local charities without being boastful. It may now be clear, we appreciate our (now rare,) local independent shop, and so do our friends & visitors.
Well that would be nice An Aldi and a Lidi in Rye we all know that wouldn’t happen.
Like Aldi, Lidi with a large portion of their core range including fresh beef, pork, chicken, milk and eggs coming from Red Tractor approved British Farms the majority of fresh fruit and vegetables from local grown where Lidi shops are located, also some Lidi have their own Bakery also donate to local charities like food banks and other community groups with there surplus of food.
At the end of the day it’s all about choice, the majority of Ryers wish to see competition to Jempsons,and hopefully if approved more people will shop local, instead of travelling to Ashford, Tenterden and Hastings.