Lidl appoints UK head of marketing

German discount retail chain Lidl has appointed Rob Graham to head its UK marketing operation.

Graham replaces Ross Collet, who left the company last month. It is not known if he had a job to go to.

As UK advertising manager, Graham will oversee all marketing and advertising for the discount retailer. Lidl is the fastest growing supermarket chain in the UK, with more than 270 stores.

Lidl is the fifth largest retailer in Europe, with more than 4,000 stores. It recently announced plans to expand to Denmark and Finland.

A source at Lidl UK confirmed Graham’s appointment as advertising manager, a position which he held a few years ago before leaving to work for one of the retailer’s warehouses.

The company, whose UK headquarters are in Wimbledon, creates all its advertising in house.

Despite investing millions in establishing a UK presence, foreign discount chains such as Lidl, Aldi and Netto control less than five per cent of the British grocery market.

Lidl already has stores in Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Austria and is reported to be planning to open a chain in the US.