Retail market analysts have suggested that by 2018 Lidl's progenitor, Die Schwarz-Gruppe, will be the largest retailer in Europe, overtaking Carrefour, the chain that holds the position at present.
A report from Planet Retail stated:
"The discounters are now a growing force in the Western European grocery landscape, so much so that a change is in store at the very top.
"By 2018, according to our forecasts, Schwarz Group will overtake Carrefour as Western Europe’s largest grocery player, generating sales of more than €80 billion. This shift in European retail is fuelled by the near-unstoppable growth of the format across Western European markets."
The report predicted that the discount sector will grow at a compound annual rate of at least 4 per cent in the five years to 2018, with Die Schwarz-Gruppe leading the pack with growth of nearly 5 per cent. This compares to the hypermarkets and superstores division which, the report anticipates, will grow less than 2 per cent.
