With the opening of eight branches in Estonia, the discounter Lidl has completed its market entry in the Baltic States. The German grocer opened its first branches in the northernmost of the three Baltic states on Thursday. According to media reports, queues formed in front of the newly opened supermarkets in the capital Tallinn and three other Estonian cities.
According to a company spokeswoman, Estonia is the 31st country into which Lidl is expanding. The German grocer has invested 80 million euros in entering the market and created more than 1000 new jobs in the Baltic EU country with 1.2 million inhabitants. “This is a very special moment for us,” said Lidl’s Estonia boss Jakob Josefsson at an opening ceremony.
Lidl has been preparing for market entry in Estonia for several years. The German retail giant previously opened its first stores in Latvia in October 2020, after having expanded to Lithuania in 2016. In both countries, the discounter has put the traditional retail chains under pressure. Industry experts also expect stronger competition in Estonia, even without Lidl’s German rival Aldi.
In 2006, Lidl canceled a first attempt to set up a branch network in the Baltic States. At that time, the discounter sold the properties it had already acquired, and the employees who had been hired up to that point were laid off. (dpa)