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.