Lidl wants its own ships

German supermarket giant Lidl has introduced its own shipping line to help improve transport costs, decrease delays, and maximise efficiency.

Lidl is part of the Schwarz Group and has grown to be the 5^th largest retailer in the world. It currently distributes more than 200 goods from 200 warehouses operated in their own 13,000 stores active in 33 countries. In recent years it has begun expanding into the US.

It is no secret that the global chain constraints are forcing retailers to go the extra mile to secure their operations. Many retailers have been through the same process by tackling the global supply chain crisis by chartering their own vessels. In 2021, companies including Amazon, Home Depot, IKEA, and Walmart expanded into the shipping business.

However, Lidl is a step further than other retailers, as they created their own shipping operation to be operated under their own banner.

Lidl registered the Tailwind Shipping Lines brand at the European Union Intellectual Property Office in February 2022. The retailer aims to use the Tailwind brand for cargo ship transportation and freight forwarding.

Wolff Tiedemann, Head of Logistics in Lidl, confirmed to VerkehrsRundschau, a German media, that the company will continue to work with its usual shipping partners, but wants to accomplish more independence.

According to German media, the retailer aims to put their own ships into service by 2023, but there is no indication of the number of ships they will acquire, or which routes they will operate. According to some reports, Lidl currently has a volume of 400-500 TEU per week, only for its operations in Germany.