The giant retailer Lidl has said it plans to double the number of its shops in the UK.
From an existing base of 600 stores, the German supermarket chain is to open at least 30 new ones every year until its goal is reached.
As more of the “squeezed middle” turns to discount shopping, Lidl has been gradually stealing customers from the big four retailers.
One of those, Tesco, reported that profits have gone down during the first half of its financial year and that it expects a further drop in sales. Tesco sports 3,146 stores in the UK.
Lidl described its target customer as a "Maidstone mum" who was no longer ashamed to shop in the discount retailer.
Lidl said consumer patterns were changing and it now saw itself these days more of a supermarket than the hard discounter of the past.
Lidl is owned by the privately-held Schwarz Group.
