Lidl Heads for Mayfair as Discounter Chases Posh London Shoppers

Already finding favor with Britain‘s middle-classes, Lidl is seeking locations in parts of the capital such as Mayfair, a district known for its luxury mansions and posh hotels. The purveyor of 11.49-pound ($17.71) Chateauneuf-du-Pape seeks to add five stores in the borough of Westminster and a further two in the affluent districts of Kensington and Chelsea, according to an internal list of store-opening priorities sent to Bloomberg.

The plans illustrate the growing adoption of discount retailers at all levels of British society. Almost 10 pence in every pound spent in U.K. supermarkets now goes through the tills of Lidl and fellow German chain Aldi as the retailers overcome stereotypes of being dimly lit outlets where only poor people would shop. By targeting some of the country‘s richest neighborhoods, the chains are showing that their plans have few boundaries.