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Looming
fight of the 'powers of darkness': German hard discounter Lidl will take on drugstore hard discounter Schlecker in what can come to be a real fight between the forces of darkness. Recently, Lidl announced that they will add some 200 drugstore articles to their assortment, and this will surely pitch the two German retailers against each other. Two of the worst employers in the German retail scene, Lidl and Schlecker have enjoyed some kind of friendly relations, with the main owner of Schlecker being part of the Lidl board. It has also been rumoured that Schlecker has indeed put up some of the funds which have enabled Lidl's fast expansion. More generally, news about the development of hard discounting in Germany have been somewhat ambivalent. It is clear that the explosive expansion has slowed down now, if not stalled, and there is growing hope that more responsible lines of retailing may be strengthening their market positions. This would be good news for consumers, suppliers and of course also for the commercial workers, whose employment conditions and benefits are under much pressure.
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