Logistics: essential to Lidl France

In logistics, Lidl France is an exception in the mass retail sector. While many retailers choose to outsource their logistics, Lidl France is committed to retaining control over every link in its supply chain. The retailer opened its first store in France in 1989. It now has more than 1,600 stores across the country, supplied by 26 logistics platforms.

The two most recent facilities—one in Ablis, in the Yvelines department, covering 84,000 sq. m. (a new development), and another in the Parc des Bréguières in Les Arcs-sur-Argens, in the Var department, covering 58,000 sq. m. (a relocation complementing an existing 38,800-sq.-m. building)—have been operational since 2025. They further strengthen the retailer’s nationwide network, which now comprises nearly 1.5 million square meters of platforms. In addition to these new buildings, nine of the 26 platforms have been relocated, while the others have benefited from a renewal program, either through extensions or interior fit-outs designed to optimize storage capacity.

Every day, suppliers—regardless of product type—deliver all product categories (dry goods, ambient products, fresh products, frozen products, etc.) to these 26 platforms. Each platform then supplies around 60 supermarkets in its catchment area. Before that, products are picked either individually or as full pallets, which can be supplemented with a few goods stacked on top. “We strive to have the most optimized pallets possible, within safety limits. The aim is to achieve the highest possible truck load factor, close to 95%. This helps us limit the number of trucks on the roads,” explains Meriem Mathout, Logistics Director of Lidl France.

There is, however, an exception for 75% of the daily volume of fruit and vegetables, which is delivered to two additional centralizing sites. Lidl France owns these sites, but they are managed by service providers. “They are responsible for checking the quality and quantity of the goods before delivering them to our platforms,” the Logistics Director specifies.

Once supermarkets have received the quantities required for their sales, trucks do not return empty. “We collect recyclable and non-recyclable waste, pallets, packaging, etc.,” Meriem Mathout explains. “They are returned, sorted, to our platforms, where they are handled by a dedicated team. Today, we recover value from 91% of waste through various partnerships. Unsold non-food products, placed in boxes, are also collected from supermarkets and directed to one of our two dedicated platforms, managed by service providers. The lifecycle of unsold items is determined nationally. They are either put back on sale or directed to dedicated channels or associations.”

This management of waste and unsold goods is part of the group’s policy to combat waste and reduce its carbon footprint. Lidl has adopted a Net Zero Carbon pathway through 2050, both in its supermarkets and across its logistics chain. In 2024, Lidl had already reduced its operational CO² emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) by 52% in all countries where it operates, compared with 2019. Scope 3 greenhouse-gas emissions—those generated upstream and downstream in the value chain—account for more than 90% of the company’s total emissions. This is why Lidl promotes an energy mix for freight transportation. “Our fleet of 600 conventional trucks is gradually being replaced with vehicles powered by alternative energies (biofuels, electricity, natural gas),” the Logistics Director announces. “We will also make ‘e-stations’ available to our upstream and downstream carriers at some of our platforms, to support them in transitioning their fleets. This system will enable our partners to invest in an electric fleet by providing them with comprehensive facilities at our sites.” To date, 904 charging points have been installed at the platforms, including 13 for heavy-duty trucks.

Lidl France’s real estate has also begun its environmental transformation since 2016. The retailer favors low-carbon materials and is helping develop a low-carbon label with Afilog and the Low Carbon Building Initiative (LCBI) label. In addition, its buildings are certified to at least BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Very Good level, attesting to their environmental performance. In 2025, the retailer had 515,000 sq. m. of photovoltaic panels across all its sites, including 161,000 sq. m. on its platforms, and 100% of its electricity production is self-consumed. The platforms are also equipped with LED lighting, and several have lighting-management solutions such as presence detection and brightness-based dimming. Finally, heating for the platforms is generated by recovering heat from refrigeration units, themselves powered by natural refrigerants.

The simplicity and agility of Lidl’s logistics also rest on its human-resources policy. “Across all our sites, staff are versatile across the various departments (receiving, picking, shipping, recycling),” explains the Logistics Director. “For example, some logistics operators are trained for CACES categories 3 and 5 and can move from order picking to forklift operation. The employment contract and its amendments are signed according to the assignment entrusted for a given period.”

Internal advancement is at the heart of Lidl’s HR model. Every year, more than 1,500 employees are promoted internally, and 92% of managers come from internal promotion. Lastly, with transparent salary scales, Lidl promotes gender pay equality: women account for one-quarter of the workforce at logistics platforms.

As part of its commitment to improving employees’ working conditions, Lidl is implementing various measures to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, such as risers for overly low pallets, unstacking fruit and vegetable pallets, material-handling support harnesses, stretch-wrap machines, etc.

According to Lidl, every supermarket or platform opening directly contributes to economic momentum and job creation in the regions. Today, the retailer employs 46,000 people throughout France. All the activities generated by the retailer support 219,0001 full-time-equivalent jobs in France, including 124,000 from its supplier network and commercial purchasing (farmers, livestock breeders, food industry, carriers), and 94,800 from its own activities (storage, transportation and supermarkets).*

*Source: Lidl’s 2021–2023 socioeconomic footprint report, produced by the Utopies consultancy.