Lidl secures site for new distribution centre

As part of its expansion ambitions within the UK the supermarket has exchanged contracts with Scottish Enterprise with the aim of building the new 58,000 sq m facility in Coddington Crescent next year.

This will replace Lidl’s existing warehouse in Livingston and staff have been assured that all existing job roles will be retained at the new premises.

Ross Millar, managing director for Lidl in Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have exchanged contracts for our new centre at Eurocentral, which marks another milestone in our ambitious expansion programme.

“We’ve seen incredible demand for Lidl stores across the country and look forward to servicing our existing 91 stores and future new stores from our new distribution hub, allowing us to continue offering our customers the best quality products at the lowest possible prices.”

“We are firmly committed to helping boost the local economy by creating new jobs through the construction of the new centre. The team are very much looking forward to now preparing and submitting the planning application. If approved we would hope to commence building in 2017.”

Meanwhile jobs at the Cisco office in Eurocentral could be under threat as the American technology firm looks to axe around 5,500 jobs from its global workforce of 74,000.

Cisco employs around 5,000 people in 14 towns and cities across the UK, including 150 in Scotland at Eurocentral and Edinburgh, but no details have yet been made about where cuts will be made.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “The restructuring will eliminate up to 5,500 positions, representing approximately seven percent of our global workforce, and we will take action under this plan beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.”