EU – Baltic States, Good for Business, Investments, Lithuania, Markets and Companies, Retail

Scores of shoppers queued for the opening of the Lidl stores in nine Lithuanian cities and towns.

Shoppers at one of the Lidl stores in Vilnius said that they expected the chain to keep low prices. Most of those queuing outside the store were elderly people and mothers with children.

Lidl announced plans to enter Lithuania back in 2002, but later put these plans on hold. The chain kept mum about what it was planning to do in Lithuania for a long time. It was only in recent years, when the chain started to purchase land and build stores, that it became evident that it was preparing for store openings.

Following the opening of a 40-million-euro logistics center in Kaunas and hiring of public relations professionals in recent months, more information started coming in and it became clear several weeks ago that the chain would open in early June.

Lidl stores offer more than 1,600 food and non-food items, mainly private label products. Some products are considerably cheaper than those in other retail stores.

Lidl Lietuva CEO Radostin Roussev-Peine says that the chain is proud of its business model.

"We are proud of our business model in 26 countries. Our business model is the best quality for the best price. We have opened in our 26th country, Lithuania. What is the most important is that from now on people will not have to wait for special offers, because our regular prices will be attractive," he told BNS on Thursday.

Justas Gavenas, a management consultant, says that the launch of the foreign chain is very important as it is bringing in investments and will shatter the fundamental shopping habits of Lithuanians.

Gavenas expects that competition will force other retail chains to lower prices or look for other ways to attract shoppers.

According to him, the Lidl chain is set to expand, with plans to open more than 20 stores and invest 60 million euros this year.

"Not including our employees, who currently number 1,400, we invested 60 million euros in Lithuania last year – in building our logistics center and stores and purchasing land," Agne Dalia Gaizauskiene, head of the Corporate Affairs and Communication Department at Lidl Lietuva, told BNS.

"We are planning to invest another 60 million euros this year. We are planning to increase the number of stores to more than twenty," she said.

Scores of shoppers queued for the opening of 15 Lidl stores in nine Lithuanian cities and towns on Thursday morning.

Five of the stores are in Vilnius, two in Kaunas, and one in Klaipeda, Siauliai, Alytus, Marijampole, Kedainiai, Telsiai, Kretinga and Mazeikiai each.

As estimated by BNS, the company is building and planning more than 30 stores across Lithuania. It also continues to actively buy real estate all over the country.