Lidl to begin opening stores this summer

Lidl announced last month that it would open the first 20 of its U.S. stores this summer rather than waiting for 2018. It had been previously thought that the company would open about 100 stores in the first quarter of next year.

Lidl has been aggressively purchasing property in Eastern states from New Jersey to Georgia, and it has been reported that they now have real estate representatives in Texas. The stores to open this summer are reportedly planned for Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Schwarz Group, one of Europe's largest retailers and the parent to Lidl, established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington, VA and is building distribution centers in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Its strategy so far has been to purchase ground so that its 36,000 square foot stores will be in direct competition to traditional supermarkets as well as small-format and discount grocery retailers.

"We are thrilled to introduce residents across the East Coast to a unique shopping experience," said a company representative. "Grocery shopping involves too much compromise. Customers are being forced to choose between quality, price and convenience, and this is a compromise they shouldn't have to make. At Lidl, we are committed to delivering outstanding quality goods to our customers at market leading prices."

Lidl adds third U.S. distribution site

Lidl, which has been acquiring supermarket sites up and down the east coast for the last couple years, said last month it would build a regional distribution center in Cecil County, Maryland. The site will be the company's third such center in the U.S. Lidl previously announced it would build warehouses in Fredericksburg, VA and Mebane, NC. Its U.S. headquarters are in Arlington, VA.

Lidl operates about 10,000 stores in 27 countries, and is considered a major competitor to Aldi. In the U.S., Lidl reportedly plans to open about 100 stores in early 2018. At 36,000 square feet, the stores will be nearly twice the size of Aldi's U.S. stores.

Lidl releases detailed criteria for U.S. expansion

Lidl, the European supermarket powerhouse that's acquiring land up and down the east coast as it plans for a 2018 U.S. launch, introduced a website last month outlining its preferred site criteria and guidelines for potential suppliers.

The website invites submissions of properties available for purchase in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia that meet the following characteristics:

• Minimum 3.5 acres for a 36,000 square foot store with at least 150 dedicated parking spaces
• Signalized intersection with full access and high visibility
• An established retail location
• Dense population within three miles
• Traffic counts of at least 20,000 vehicles per day
• Zoning for a grocery use

In the Greater Philadelphia Market, it seems clear from the site plans Lidl has shown up on that the company plans to compete head to head with Giant and ShopRite, the dominant supermarkets in the region. In addition, a published report last week said Lidl has plans to open across the street from Aldi in the Lehigh Valley. Aldi is Lidl's main competitor in Europe.

Lidl has established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington, VA and regional distribution hubs in Fredericksburg, VA and Mebane, NC.

Lidl breaks ground on U.S. distribution center

Lidl, the German discounter and Aldi rival that plans to open stores in the U.S. by 2018, broke ground for a new regional headquarters and distribution center in Fredericksburg, VA last Tuesday. The company's U.S. headquarters is planned for Arlington, VA.

Lidl operates about 10,000 stores in 26 countries throughout Europe, and has been securing sites up and down the East Coast of the United States for the last year.

Lidl preparing for entry into U.S. market

A Supermarket News story reported last week that German retailer Lidl is ramping up for its entry into the U.S. market by establishing new U.S. offices, advertising job openings and meeting with suppliers in Europe to determine their ability to distribute to the new stores.

Although Lidl parent company Schwarz Group confirmed 2018 as the year it plans to open stores in the U.S., Supermarket News believes that may be a conservative time frame. The story cited Lidl's $56.6 million investment in a new headquarters and test kitchen in Arlington, VA, as well as the launch of training for 200 employees in connection with the expansion.

Lidl serves as Aldi's biggest competitor in Europe, with approximately 10,000 stores. Aldi has had stores in the U.S. since 1976 and recently stepped up its expansion efforts throughout the country.

Aldi's biggest competitor in Europe to open U.S. stores

German discount supermarket chain Lidl, which has over 10,000 stores across Europe and is Aldi's biggest competitor there, confirmed plans earlier this month for an American rollout. Klaus Gehrig, CEO of Lidl parent Schwartz Group, said that U.S. expansion was "in full swing" and that an office has been established in Arlington, VA.

The company said the target date for new stores was 2018.