Lidl's next US target is Texas

German discount grocer Lidl, which is well on its way to opening about 100 stores on the East Coast in 2018, confirmed last Friday to Supermarket News that it also plans to expand into Texas. The move is seen as confirmation that the company is targeting competitive grocery markets, as Houston and Dallas are among the most crowded and price competitive in the country, and already include the three largest U.S. grocers - Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons.

Lidl isn't the first discount grocer to move into Texas, as Aldi has opened nearly 100 stores there since 2010, and says it plans to open hundreds more.  Both Lidl and Aldi prefer to locate close to leading traditional supermarkets where they can enjoy a price advantage.

The two companies are anything but strangers, as they compete worldwide for discount grocery market share.

The Fresh Market to limit expansion to existing markets

The Fresh Market announced earlier this month that they plan to increase penetration in existing markets while slowing the pace of expansion in new markets. The company also announced the upcoming closures of four stores, three in Sacramento, CA and one in Houston, TX.

The Fresh Market, which operates more than 150 stores nationwide, entered the California market in 2012 and the Houston market last year (through an acquisition). As of this evening, the company's website says that it operates two stores in California and four in Houston, one of which has a location in Turtle Creek listed as "TBD."

There are four Fresh Market stores in Pennsylvania and two in New Jersey.