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Lidl revives Berlin's vacant Karstadt building with a new supermarket

A historic Berlin building gets a fresh start as Lidl moves in, creating jobs and convenience. Could this be the beginning of a retail revival?

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2 min read
The image shows a Lidl store with a sign in front of it, surrounded by houses, street poles, street...
The image shows a Lidl store with a sign in front of it, surrounded by houses, street poles, street lights, motor vehicles on the road, bushes, trees and a sky with clouds in the background.

Lidl revives Berlin's vacant Karstadt building with a new supermarket

A long-vacant retail space on Tempelhofer Damm has found new life as Lidl opens its latest branch in Berlin. The supermarket chain has moved into the ground and basement levels of the former Karstadt building, bringing back shopping options to the area after a year of inactivity. District Mayor Jörn Oltmann marked the occasion by attending the opening and welcoming the development as a positive step for the neighbourhood.

The new Lidl store spans 1,400 square metres, offering around 4,300 products. It replaces an older branch nearby at the corner of Tempelhofer Damm and Ordensmeisterstraße, which closed as part of the relocation. All staff from the previous location have been retained, with an additional ten jobs created for the new branch.

Customers spending at least €20 can park for free in the adjacent public garage for up to 90 minutes. The building itself, a listed property owned by Versicherungskammer Bayern, is being gradually repurposed. While Lidl occupies the ground and basement floors, Woolworth has leased the first floor, with plans to open a 2,600-square-metre store by April 30, 2026. This opening follows Lidl's recent trend of revitalising vacant department store spaces in Berlin. In May, the chain launched another branch at Leopoldplatz, breathing new life into underused retail properties. The upper floors of the Tempelhofer Damm building remain under negotiation for future leasing, though exact details have not yet been confirmed.

The new Lidl branch fills a gap left by the closure of its previous location and the long-standing vacancy of the Karstadt site. With expanded shopping options, free parking incentives, and job retention, the development brings immediate benefits to the area. Versicherungskammer Bayern's phased repurposing of the building suggests further changes ahead for the historic property.

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