In total, domestic products worth €156 million were exported to the company’s stores across its 29 European markets.
RiddleAccording to a study by consultancy Forbis Mazars for German chains, domestic exports to chains in the European Union generated direct and indirect benefits of 289 million euros last year, up 18 percent from the previous year and creating 6,520 jobs (up 32 percent).
Last year, Lidl exported 156 million euros to its stores in 29 of the 32 European countries in which it operates, roughly 2% of Portugal’s food exports to the EU. “Every euro of export-oriented products facilitated by Lidl generated benefits of around 1.85 euros for the Portuguese economy,” the consultancy’s study highlights.
“The data from this survey show our growing influence on the Portuguese economy, both in terms of generating wealth for the country and creating jobs, and we are committed to promoting the quality of Portuguese products on international markets, demonstrating our continued commitment to sustainable development and the creation of opportunities. In this way, we open the doors of our store network across Europe to suppliers that would otherwise have a harder time internationalizing,” points out Bruno Pereira, Purchasing Director at Lidl Portugal, quoted in the press release.
Products from agriculture, livestock, hunting and related services (44%), food (31%), beverages (18%) and fishing and aquaculture products (7%) are the chain’s main export products, which saw more than 100 domestic suppliers increase their sales last year and export more than 100 different products to around 34 countries, mainly Germany, Spain and France.
The exports promoted by Lidl also had an impact on employment, creating 6,520 jobs in Portugal: in other words, an increase of 32% compared to 2022, meaning an increase of 1,588 direct, indirect and induced jobs, mainly affecting the sectors of agricultural products, animal production, hunting and related services (61%), food (19%), fisheries and aquaculture products (11%) and beverages (9%).
Lidl, which has been operating in Portugal for 29 years, has around 9,000 employees in more than 270 stores from the north to the south of the country, as well as four regional offices and warehouses.
According to an impact study conducted by KPMG2022, Lidl Portugal It has contributed €3.1 billion in terms of wealth creation to the country, which is equivalent to 1.3% of the country’s GDP.