SUPERMARKET chain Lidl is looking for land to build up to THREE new stores in Worcester.

The company’s most recent site requirements brochure also highlights a desire to build new stores in Malvern and Pershore.

One of the three areas on the Worcester wish list involves a “store relocation required” tag in the Ronkswood area, which is currently served by the shop on Newtown Road.

New sites are wanted in southern and western parts of the city in addition to Worcester’s other store on Blackpole Road, Brickfields, and the site being developed on the JVM Castings factory car park off Droitwich Road.

Malvern already has one Lidl on Worcester Road, while the closest store to Pershore is on Broadway Road, Evesham.

The brochure, first published in April 2020, is due to be updated later this year but Worcester News understands each of the areas highlighted remain on the company’s radar.

There are no fewer than 76 areas of central England listed in the literature in which Lidl says it wants to "continue our phenomenal growth" and "double our portfolio" of more than 800 sites across the UK.

It lists “prominent locations with easy access and strong pedestrian or traffic flow” with “freehold, leasehold or long leasehold opportunities” as wanted.

Unit sizes between 14,000 and 26,500 sq ft on 1.5 acre-plus sites for standalone stores or up to four acres for mixed-use schemes are the requirements for sites outside of London.

A Lidl spokesperson said: “Whilst we are working towards bringing investment into the area there are no further updates at present. We will be sure to inform the local community as soon as any information is available.”

The first Lidl GB store opened its doors in 1994 and on top of more than 800 stores it has 13 regional distribution centres across Great Britain, employing more than 23,000 people.

The Lidl brand was founded in Germany and has grown to become one of Europe's leading food retailers.

The expansion programme continues despite being cited as one of the reasons behind a £25.2million pre-tax loss for the year ending February 2020. It posted a profit of £19million the year before.

Lidl’s UK workforce increased by eight per cent in the last financial year, adding just shy of 1,800 employees, while the group also said it had spent £654 million on opening 51 stores and a new warehouse in Motherwell in that time.