Discount retailer Lidl plans to axe 70 roles at its head office in Tolworth, southwest London.

The move is part of the supermarket chain’s restructuring strategy for its expansion. The cuts have been communicated to staff. A consultation process is set to end in October.

A Lidl spokesperson said: “As a fast-growing business with strong momentum, we’ve undertaken a review of our operations to ensure we’re set up with the right foundations to support our ambitious expansion plans, now and in the future. These plans include the opening of 40 new stores this year alone, creating over 1,000 new jobs for store colleagues, with further ambitions to accelerate that growth in the years ahead.

“As part of this review, we’ve put forward necessary proposals that will impact some roles within our head office. No customer-facing roles will be affected, and no decisions will be made until the consultation period has fully concluded.

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The supermarket aims to streamline its overall operations and is committed towards employee welfare by offering alternative roles where available.

The spokesperson added: “These proposals are designed to streamline our operations, improve efficiency and strengthen our business model. While these decisions have not been made lightly, we are committed to supporting affected colleagues and will offer alternative roles where suitable.”

Lidl recorded soaring sales over the summer. NIQ data revealed it is among the top-performing retailers in the UK, with growth surging by 13.1%.

Additionally, the German discounter reached a record market share of 8.3% in the four weeks to July 13, according to figures from Worldpanel.