Finland. Lidl Suomi Ky
| Date of agreement: | 03 Jul 2015 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Finland |
| Customer: | Lidl Suomi Ky |
| Amount in EUR: | EUR 50 million |
| Maturity: | 10 years |
| NACE sector / loan type: | Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
Project
The loan is provided for financing the construction of new Lidl stores and the modernisation of the chain’s existing branches in Finland between 2015 and 2017.
Several established Lidl shops in Finland have reached their capacity limits. Lidl has increased the standard size of its stores, and will now rebuild certain branches.
Lidl is an international discount supermarket chain with approximately 10,000 stores in more than 20 European countries. Today, Lidl has 146 branches in Finland. The company’s stores are of limited size and offer discounted prices and private labels. The chain is part of the Germany-based Schwarz Group.
Fulfilment of NIB's mandate
Lidl is planning to expand its network in Finland by opening several new stores over the next three years. The investment in upgrading existing branches will improve the chain’s service levels. Lidl’s market share in Finland is currently 9%. The expansion of Lidl’s store network is expected to contribute to an overall increase in market efficiency, and to intensify competition in the vertically integrated Finnish grocery trade market. An improved balance between actors is expected to mitigate unfavourable impacts on price level developments.
Lidl is a high performer in environmental management, and is regarded as a market leader in introducing new energy saving concepts and logistics solutions within the food retail sector. The expansion of Lidl’s store network is expected to have a beneficial effect on the environment.
Sustainability summary
The construction and renovation of supermarket grocery stores is assessed to constitute only limited potential for negative environmental impact.
