About

Privately family-owned German retail group Schwarz Gruppe owns and operates the Lidl and Kaufland brands, and it is the fourth largest retailer in the world by revenue. The legal department have assisted on Lidl’s plans to expand its business to Australia, Lithuania in 2016, and Serbia and the US in 2017 and Russia in 2020. Schwarz Gruppe’s turnover grew 7% in the past fiscal year, up to €79.3bn. An extensive international expansion was the big catalyst for this turnover and it is here where the legal team have been critical to ensure that the company are investing strategically in its store and logistics real estate, giving advice on pivotal decisions in regards to store openings in different jurisdictions.