o stock premium French wines from early September in a bid to woo more affluent shoppers and win them over.Lidl is believed to have spent around £12 million purchasing more than one million bottles from most of the main French wine regions, although over half come from Bordeaux. The range includes 48 premium wines, both vintage and non-vintage, from leading French chateaux and will go on sale in Lidl's 600 supermarkets across the UK. The stores will also stock wines from the ever popular Châteauneuf-du-Pape wineries.
Prices are expected to range from £4.99 to £25.99 for more premium ranges, with Lidl planning to sell the wines for up to a third less than the equivalent wines in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.
Lidl is underrepresented in London's wealthy central neighbourhoods compared to the store coverage it has in the remainder of the UK. It is hoping that the introduction of these wines will assist the new stores opening in these neighbourhoods in gaining market share. Lidl has seen its market share increase throughout the UK but heretofore has not seriously attempted to break into central London. It believes that establishing successful stores in central London is a crucial step to being viewed as a leading retailer in the UK.
If this new wine venture is successful Lidl may look at stocking more premier wines, perhaps with higher price points.
