Fast-growing supermarket chain Lidl is looking to increase its presence in York with a new store at a city shopping centre.
The budget retailer is eyeing up a unit in Clifton Moor.
Although it hasn’t confirmed it will open on Hurricane Way, it has applied for a licence to sell alcohol there, which suggests plans are well advanced.
Lidl’s application to City of York Council asks for an off licence for the store to start from 18 July to cover opening hours of 7am to 11pm daily.
It says staff will be trained in precautions when selling alcohol and the retail area will be covered by CCTV cameras.
The licensing application is for Unit 3 on Hurricane Way. That unit is currently occupied by freezer food specialist the Food Warehouse, owned by Iceland Group.
But Food Warehouse has applied for planning permission to move next door to Unit 2 Hurricane Way – the former home to Smyths Toys. The toy shop closed when Smyths relocated to Monks Cross.
This retailing version of musical chairs could free up Unit 3 for Lidl to move in.
Despite their public applications to City of York Council, both retailers were cagey when YorkMix asked them about their plans.
A spokesperson for Lidl said: “Clifton Moor has been on our Site Requirements list for several years, and we are exploring all options to bring a new store to the area.
“While there are no firm plans to share at this stage, we will of course keep the community updated if that changes.”
A spokesperson for Iceland was even less forthcoming: “Unfortunately, Iceland is unable to comment on this at this time.”
Lidl named Clifton as one of five areas of York where it wanted to open a store in April last year.
It has two stores operating in the city at the moment, one on James Street and another on Thanet Road, Acomb.
A new Lidl is currently being built on the site of the old TK Maxx, next door to Sainsbury’s, at Monks Cross.
The retailer announced plans in April to invest half a billion pounds in its expansion, with plans to open more than 40 new stores across the country this financial year.
Lidl was the fastest grower among bricks and mortar grocers this month at 11.2% – its third consecutive month of double-digit growth to reach 8.1% of the market.