Recruitment starts for world's biggest Lidl distribution centre which will bring over 1,200 jobs to Luton and Dunstable area by end of 2025

Lidl GB has today started the recruitment process for its massive new Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) on the edge of Luton which it says will create more than 1,200 new jobs by the end of 2025.

Despite the pandemic, construction began on Lidl’s new 1.2 million sq ft warehouse last year. Once complete, it will become the discounter’s largest RDC in Britain – as well as being Lidl’s largest globally. When fully operational, the RDC will service more than 150 stores in London and the surrounding counties.

The warehouse, situated off the Woodside Link road close to J11a of the M1, will be the first Lidl distribution centre to feature automation. The automated storage tower will be 17 storeys high – compared to five storeys in a typical Lidl warehouse. Due to the huge increase in capacity, the discounter will be hiring more warehouse operatives to help manage the movement of goods.

The discounter has now started recruitment for the warehouse and will be looking to fill a wide range of roles over the course of the next year, from warehouse operatives and operations managers to support roles in HR and payroll.

When Lidl first acquired the site in 2018, it predicted up to 1,000 jobs would be created. As plans have progressed, Lidl has revised this figure to 1,200 new posts.

The company says the distribution centre will support Lidl’s rapid expansion. In February alone it opened 13 new stores across the country, including Hounslow, Burton-Upon-Trent and Blairgowrie, which collectively created approximately 520 new jobs. It says, in total, it intends to create 4,000 new store roles throughout 2022 and 2023.

Ryan McDonnell, CEO at Lidl GB, said: “This new distribution centre – the largest in any Lidl market globally – signifies our continued commitment to expansion across Great Britain and the creation of local jobs. At a time when many households are struggling, we are more focused than ever on giving more communities access to our unrivalled quality-value combination, whilst taking care of our own colleagues by paying them wages that are higher than the cost of living.

“Our competitive pay and benefits is already helping to attract new colleagues, and we’re looking forward to welcoming 1,200 new people to our workforce soon.”

Mr McDonnell added: “We are shocked and saddened by the events unfolding in Ukraine. As an international business, we are donating €10million in funds, food, textiles and hygiene products in the neighbouring countries to Ukraine to get essential products as quickly as possible to those displaced by the crisis. In addition to this we are keen to explore ways in which we can provide support here in Great Britain. We have thousands of live job vacancies and so we are in contact with Government to understand how we can help individuals coming from Ukraine with employment opportunities”.

More information on the recruitment opportunities at Lidl can be found via lidlcareers.co.uk