The discounter’s previous head of Germany is moving to another position in the group.
(Photo: ddp/News Licensing Jack Hill/The)
Dusseldorf The discounter Lidl is surprisingly replacing the head of the German national company. Christian Härtnagel is leaving this operational position for personal reasons and will become division director in the Lidl Foundation, the company announced on Monday. His successor is to be the previous head of France, Friedrich Fuchs.
Since Fuchs can only take over from January 2024, there is an interim solution. Härtnagel’s deputy, Jan Bock, is taking over the German business on an interim basis.
The change hits Lidl in a challenging phase. Margins are falling for all retailers on the German market due to rising costs. The discounter had therefore slimmed down its organization and restructured its management just two months ago in order to make the company more resilient in the face of the difficult conditions. Now Lidl has to reorganize itself again in this country.
Lidl considers the German market to be saturated
The growth opportunities in German business are now limited. “The German market is a saturated market in terms of the number of branches,” Härtnagel recently admitted in an interview with Handelsblatt. “We have created a comprehensive network with our over 3,250 branches,” he said.
There are only a few “white spots” left, but Lidl wants to expand in the coming years, especially in major cities, says Härtnagel. Ten to 15 new branches are planned per year.
>> Read also: Christian Härtnagel in an interview – “Consumers no longer just look at the lowest price”
Jan Bock only took over the management of the German subsidiary in July. He is currently responsible for the goods department, and marketing is also his responsibility. He previously managed purchasing at Lidl International.
The future boss Friedrich Fuchs knows the German market. He started his career at Lidl in Germany in 2003. Before working in France, he held management positions at Lidl Hungary and Romania. During his eleven years in France, he increased Lidl’s market share to around eight percent and clearly outpaced its competitor Aldi Nord there.
Fuchs’ successor as country manager of Lidl in France will be Michel Biero, currently purchasing manager. The manager has been with the company since 2001.
Lidl manager Härtnagel is supposed to promote online business
Härtnagel is to take responsibility for the online business in the Lidl Foundation, which bundles the company’s foreign business. “With his extensive international experience,” the 41-year-old should drive forward the integration of the stationary and digital business, explained Lidl boss Kenneth McGrath.
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Härtnagel started at Lidl as a temporary checkout assistant. He worked for the discounter in Ireland and Austria. Before moving to the top job in Germany, he ran Lidl’s business in the UK.
Lidl boss Kenneth McGrath emphasized how successful the manager’s work in Germany had been, even though the manager only took on this position in March 2022. He should now continue this in the new position.
More: How the discounter Lidl is restructuring its German business