Overview
- Lidl said it will make no investments in traditional television in 2026 after linear TV accounted for 22% of its French media spend last year.
- The company will put more budget into online video, which executives described as a strong growth lever.
- In July, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered Lidl to pay Intermarché €43 million for illicit TV ads, a decision the discounter plans to challenge before the Court of Cassation.
- Judges faulted 374 spots aired between 2017 and 2023 that promoted prices without ensuring 15-week availability across stores, citing misleading practices and unfair competition.
- Kantar estimates Lidl was France’s No. 2 advertiser with nearly €400 million in gross spend in the first three quarters of 2025, and company officials warned that shifting budgets could strain funding for French media.