Company Is Scouting Midwest Locations
When the discount German grocer Lidl opened its first stores in the U.S. this June there was a lot of frenzy and excitement. People, including supermarket reporters, travelled to locations in Virginia, North and South Carolina to see what the fuss was all about. According to several reports, that enthusiasm has not waned throughout the summer. In fact, with 21 stores now open in those states, the expansion of this brand is only getting started. Now, according to The Columbus Dispatch in Ohio, that expansion is about to go beyond the east coast.
Ohio Stores Are Still in Development
As of now, Lidl stores are focused in the mid-Atlantic with definitive plans in place in Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. However, the company’s website has a job opening for a “real estate manager” based in Columbus, OH. Similar positions are available in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Texas.
Lidl confirmed these plans for expansion to The Columbus Dispatch, explaining “We are looking at sites across Ohio. However, we have not yet established a timeline for stores there.”
What’s interesting is how competitive it is for supermarkets in the midwest market, and especially central Ohio. Lidl’s plans to enter a region with over a dozen established grocers, including Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger, shows how ambitious their U.S. project really is. Indeed, every source on record from the company, including a PR representative that spoke to LRWC, confirms:
We have committed to opening up to 100 stores on the East Coast by the end of Summer next year.
Locations in Delaware Opening this Month
In line with their commitment to expand, Lidl is ahead of its projected schedule of opening 20 stores by summer’s end. Currently, there are 21 operating locations in Virginia, North and South Carolina. In addition, their much-anticipated debut in Delaware will come by the end of this month. In fact, Delaware Online reports that its Middletown, DE location will open on August 31st.
Significantly, Middletown only welcomed its first Aldi location just last year.
New Jersey Still on Lidl’s Radar
As our New Jersey readers may also know, the Garden State is another big market on Lidl’s list. Currently, the company has plans to open stores in the following NJ counties:
- Atlantic
- Burlington
- Camden
- Cumberland
- Gloucester
Currently, Cumberland County has approved the addition of three Lidl locations. Reports state that construction of these stores will begin in January.
How Does the U.S. Lidl Measure Up?
I reported on Lidl’s entrance into the U.S. market back in March. I said then, and still believe, that it is truly a unique addition to our crowded market and worth checking out.
However, at the time, there were still a lot of rumors about what we could expect from the discount chain, which operates over 10,000 storefronts worldwide. Now, with over two months of operations in the U.S. complete, many of those have been confirmed. Indeed, U.S. Lidl stores are larger than their European counterparts, but customers are still responsible for brining their own bags. But Lidl’s services and experiences are clearly authentic. In fact, German-born U.S. shoppers in Virginia reported to the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the products and experience are just like home.
“That is what I was looking for,” said Julia Johnson who attended opening day at the store’s location in Chester, VA. She was especially happy to see German-style pretzel and cheese bread at the fresh bakery section.
Another German transplant, Carnia Bethea, had shopped at Lidl in Germany since childhood. She says, “I know it’s a good store,” implying the kind of experience and affinity the company hopes to imbue onto the U.S. market.