New hope has been signalled for Broadmead following the closure of its Marks and Spencer’s store, after Lidl announced it would be opening a supermarket just a stone’s throw away.

Lidl has had its eye on the building that formerly housed H&M on Union Street for a while, but BristolWorld can now confirm the German retailer will open a branch there later this year, creating 40 jobs for the city.

Lidl announced it would be opening a supermarket in the former H&M building on Union Street over the coming months.

The unit has stood empty since the second national lockdown in 2020 when H&M closed with other non-essential retailers before later announcing it would not be reopening.

A spokesperson for Lidl said: “We are very much looking forward to opening our new Lidl supermarket on Union Street, Bristol and are hoping to welcome customers later this summer.

“Once opened, the store will create around 40 new jobs for the local area and we would like to thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding as we progress our new store.”

While an exact opening date is yet to be announced, BristolWorld understands the store could open over the next few months.

The spokesperson added: “We look forward to sharing more information closer to our store opening.”

It comes after the shock closure of Marks and Spencer’s, which has stood on Broadmead since 1950, last week.

It is hoped by the Broadmead BID that the new Lidl will provide another popular food outlet, along with Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Lidl confirm opening in old H&M store just off Broadmead, creating 40 jobs