The French branch of German retailer Lidl has revealed plans to 'exit the hard discount sector', according to various reports.
Lidl France's new boss Friedrich Fuchs made the announcement in Paris this week, adding that the retailer would 'continue to offer the best quality-to-price ratio and the best service'.
One change that is widely anticipated is to the way fruit and vegetables are displayed in the stores.
Since the start of the financial crisis, the hard discount sector has consistently lost customers in France, due in part to the increasing popularity of convenience stores equally committed to low prices.
In September, the sector recorded a 0.8 per cent drop in market share in France, according to figures from Kantar, including a 0.3 for Lidl alone.
