Lidl is expanding beyond groceries into mobile services, launching discount phone plans across up to 30 countries including the UK, US, France and Spain. The German supermarket will offer services through its Lidl Plus app, which has over 100 million users, continuing the retail trend of entering the telecommunications sector.

Lidl owner Schwarz Group has signed an agreement with mobile provider 1GLOBAL to become a virtual network operator, avoiding the need for its own infrastructure. As part of the deal, Schwarz will take a 9.9% stake in 1GLOBAL, which holds telecoms licenses in 12 countries. This strategy mirrors existing UK MVNOs like Tesco and Lebara that wholesale network access.

The move intensifies competition for established telecoms already facing pressure from financial services companies like Revolut entering the mobile market. Analyst Kester Mann notes Lidl's arrival will increase competitive pressure, as retailers leverage existing customer relationships to offer bundled services. This marks another step in Schwarz's broader digital ecosystem strategy that includes cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI investments.