Excitement mounted as about 50 shoppers turned up early to witness the opening of the new Lidl at Sandford in Dorset – the first budget supermarket in the area for Purbeck residents and visitors.
The much anticipated new store near Wareham, opened on Thursday 12th February 2026 with lots of special offers, free fruit and veg with the Lidl Plus app, and plenty of bargains in the famous ‘middle aisle’.
Official opening by Wareham town mayor Zoe Gover, accompanied by new store manager Alan Bean, Lidl staff, and guests from Sandford St Martin’s primary school and Wareham St Martin parish council
Opened by Wareham town mayor
The 1,400 square metre Lidl was officially opened by Wareham town mayor Zoe Gover, who cut a ribbon and said she was pleased to be at the store and happy to open it.
Wareham Town Council had opposed the building of the store throughout the planning process, but Zoe Gover declined to comment on the issue.
However, one of the major concerns – that it would cause gridlock on the A351 – didn’t happen on opening day, with only slightly heavier traffic around the Sibley Pottery roundabout coinciding with school run times.
The biggest issue on the first day was the car park, which was very busy with some shoppers having to wait for spaces.
It was all ‘berry’ exciting!
Top Lidl fan Mark Best was in pole position when the doors opened
“Prices are good and I like the centre aisle”
First in line at the new Sandford Lidl was local man Mark Best, who had been waiting in line since 6 am, and by the time the store opened an hour later, about 50 shoppers were waiting behind him.
Mark Best said:
“I’ve been shopping at Lidl since we lived in Germany in the 1990s, so I have been looking forward to a local store opening since the plans were announced.
“I know that some people have worried about extra traffic and have been against it, but I don’t think it will be much of an issue for most of the time.
“I think that a lot of people in Wareham will shop here – the prices are really good and I do like the centre aisle. Years ago, their fresh produce wasn’t the best, but I think it’s really good now to the point where the other supermarkets are trying to catch up to their standards.
“There have been so many times when we have been at home and said we could really do with a certain item, only to find it in the middle aisle of Lidl – I’ve had a lot of tools from them in the past at some really good prices!”
From fruit and veg to TVs – it’s all available at Lidl
Lidl staff get ready for their very first early morning shift with the public
“Passionate about the local community”
New Sandford store manager Alan Bean has worked for Lidl for the past five years and was previously manager of the Weymouth store.
Alan Bean said:
“What I love about Lidl is that it’s a community store – although we are a supermarket, we are just as passionate about the local community that we service and being a central part of that.
“My day is spent working with great colleagues, but also great customers as well, giving them the best high quality and low cost products we can.
“We always help a local charity and there are daily food collections from the store, a lot of landscaping has been done, there’s a green roof on the building and once all the vegetation grows that has been planted around the site it will be a wonderful addition to Sandford.
“Lidl has employed local people to work here to help the Purbeck economy and the energy in the store is amazing. It is such an enjoyable job!”
The bakery offers a good selection plus a free item via the app on the first day
Shoppers filled their trolleys in the middle of Lidl
Good quality fruit on offer as shoppers stocked up
“It’s been a long journey to get here”
James Mitchell, regional head of property at Lidl GB, said:
“We are delighted to be opening at last – it’s been a long journey to get here, but we are sure that the store will be a fantastic facility for residents of Sandford and Wareham, and also for the wider Purbeck area and we can offer locals a choice they don’t currently have.
“It is part of an ambitious expansion plan that Lidl has across the whole of the country – we are opening 19 stores in the first two months of 2026, and we opened our 1,000th store towards the end of last year.
“We take great pride in our charity work – we partner nationally with the NSPCC, and local partnerships as well through Neighbourly, who collect our food waste daily and who work with local independent charities.
“We are also starting our Lidl Foodies programme with the local primary school, where we take some of our fruit and veg to the school and explain about nutrients and eating healthily.”
Cars crawled round the busy car park looking for a space
First day celebration banner
New crossing points with tactile paving have been created for better pedestrian access at the Sibley Pottery roundabout
“Fears do not materialise”
James Mitchell added:
“The store was a long time in the planning process, but we know that there were 5,000 local residents who supported the scheme, which was indicative of the local demand for a new shopping option.
“We are delighted to provide that, and it reinforces our commitment to ensuring that everyone, wherever they live, has access to high quality food at the best possible prices.
“Traffic impact was thoroughly assessed through the planning process – over 20 years with the business I have seen many stores open and while concerns are always understandable, it is always a case that those fears do not materialise.
“We are really confident that Lidl can be a valued part of the local community. We take great pride in our green credentials and sustainability, we have a solar PV array that provides the majority of the store’s required energy needs – our buildings are super efficient.
“We couldn’t be prouder to welcome the community inside today, with a huge thank you to everyone who helped us turn these plans into a reality.”
Open just in time for Valentine’s Day
Easter eggs already on sale
The marketing team enjoy a ‘Lidl’ pun!
Unsold fresh food redistributed
Guests from the local community invited to the grand opening celebrations on Sandford Road included John Williamson, chair of Wareham St Martin parish council and teachers and students from Sandford St Martin’s primary school.
The store features Lidl’s popular in-store bakery, its iconic middle aisle, toilets with baby-changing facilities and outside, parking for cars and cycles, as well as rapid electric vehicle chargers.
Lidl says all fresh food which remains unsold at the end of each day will be distributed out into the community by Lidl’s partner Neighbourly.
Its Feed It Back programme typically collects fruit, vegetables, bakery products and other staple items to redistribute to foodbanks, community cafes and charities.
Further information
- More about Lidl and its app which offers free items and discounts
