Lidl still wants Welshpool store

Supermarket giant Lidl has confirmed that it still intends to open a superstore in Welshpool, after keeping the town on its latest wishlist of stores.

Eighteen months ago, the store first confirmed to MyWelshpool that it was actively seeking to open in the town, intensifying the supermarket war with current brands here Tesco, Aldi and Morrison’s.

It has all gone quiet since, but this weekend Lidl has released its autumn 2025 site requirements brochure, and it includes Welshpool amongst its 57 cities, towns and villages in Wales. Lidl GB already has more than 980 UK stores.

“There are still so many parts of the country crying out for convenient access to a Lidl store,” said Richard Taylor, chief development officer.

The news will once again raise the question whether the former Sainsbury’s site in the middle of town (pictured) could be considered. The store closed its doors five years ago with the building boarded up since.

Lidl said that it is looking for locations that meet its standard store requirements, these include unit sizes between 18,000 and 26,500 sq ft and a minimum of 100 dedicated car parking spaces.

Plots of 1.5 acres for standalone stores are needed - or up to four acres for mixed-use developments.

Welshpool has undergone a massive retail transformation over the past 12 years, and it continues at pace with Starbucks, Costa Coffee and KFC all set to open at the Buttington Roundabout development in the coming weeks.