Lidl's former Bournemouth unit put on market for lease

Lidl’s site in Richmond Gardens Shopping Centre has been put on Rightmove, with the landlord asking for a service charge of £24,816 per year.  

Lidl is expected to close the shop at an unconfirmed date in October. Lidl said the current lease expires on October 27, and the store needs vacating on October 7. 

The 14,000 sq ft unit also has a rateable value of £123,000 and interested parties are advised to contact BCP Council to confirm their liabilities and any transitional relief. 

Lidl in Richmond Gardens Shopping Centre (Image: NQ)

Investment and property management company LCP Properties has advertised the unit as being “adjacent to 990 space multi-storey car park”, with “immediate proximity to Bournemouth town centre and student core” and with student accommodation with more than 600 beds being built next door within the next 18 months. 

In a letter to staff seen by the Echo, Lidl said they would not be renewing their lease because of turnover not recovering to pre-pandemic levels, the need for investment to modernise being too large and footfall through its doors dropping since Wilko left. 

Remaining traders in the shopping centre recently expressed their worries about the future, with one admitting they will be leaving. 

Read more: Why are Lidl closing their Bournemouth town centre store?

Suna, who owns a tailor shop in the centre, said: “It’s awful. I’m speechless. I don’t know what to do and I don’t know what it'll mean for us. 

“Wilko going affected us a lot; it was very handy and helpful for us with the footfall.”  

JD Gyms recently submitted a planning application to BCP Council for the former Wilko site next door, where it is planning to open next year if approved. 

Alun Peacock, managing director of JD Gyms, said: “Bournemouth is a fantastic location for us, and we're excited to expand the JD Gyms offering further into the south east.”