Lidl has appointed Richard Taylor chief development officer, replacing Alan Barry.
Barry moved to Lidl GB from Lidl Ireland, where he had also been chief development officer, early last year. At the GB operation he replaced Ingo Fischer, who moved to the discounter’s international headquarters in Germany, having spearheaded its rapid estate expansion across Britain for a decade.
Lidl this week said Barry’s time at the GB business had been a secondment. It said he was now returning to an equivalent role at Lidl Ireland but did not confirm whether he would assume the same title there.
Richard Taylor is being promoted from the role of regional property director for Greater London, central England and Wales, which he has held for over seven years.
He has been with Lidl GB for about 17 years, rising from acquisitions manager, a role he took after obtaining an MA in town and country planning from the University of West of England Bristol.
Both Lidl and Aldi are pursuing long-term ambitious estate expansion programmes as a route to sales growth. Last month, Lidl opened its 900th store in Britain and said it was on track to hit its target of 1,100 by 2025.
The target was raised in November last year by CEO Christian Härtnagel, who this month hands over duties to Ryan McDonnell before returning to Lidl in Germany. It had previous been 1,000 stores by the end of 2023.
Aldi’s target is 1,200 by 2025, which it also says it is on track to reach, with over 950 currently.
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