In May, Lidl (pronounced leedle), announced that the first U.S. stores will open on Thursday, June 15. This week, Lidl specified where the first nine grocery stores will be located: Virginia (Hampton and Virginia Beach), North Carolina (Kinston, Greenville, Sanford, Rocky Mount, and Winston-Salem), and South Carolina (Spartanburg and Greenville). A total of 20 stores will open throughout the summer, and the company hopes to open at least 100 stores across the East Coast by summer 2018. In total, the new stores will create 5,000 U.S. jobs. Lidl is the largest discount grocery store on the continent, and is extremely popular in Europe, with 10,000 stores in 27 different countries. About 90 percent of the products in U.S. stores will be Lidl private label brands, which range from chocolate bars and peanut butter to quality meats and cheeses. A bakery will be located at the entrance of each store, where fresh breads and pastries will be baked throughout the day. All fresh and frozen seafood will be certified sustainable, and the stores will carry a variety of organic and gluten-free items. “Lidl is grocery shopping refreshed, retooled and rethought to make life better for all of our customers,” Brendan Proctor, president and CEO of Lidl US, said in a statement. “From our selection of sustainable products like our certified fresh and frozen seafood to top-quality wines from around the world available at market-beating prices, our team puts extra effort and attention into each product we put on our shelves. When customers shop at Lidl, they will experience less complexity, lower prices, better choices, and greater confidence.” In addition to low prices, the company also prides itself on a streamlined shopping experience. Each new store will be 20,000 square feet and feature an easy-to-shop layout with only six aisles. See below for a list of 19 cities getting a Lidl store this summer.
Kinston, NCGreenville, NCWilson, NCSanford, NCRocky Mount, NCWinston-Salem, NCHavelock, NCRockingham, NCWake Forest, NCSpartanburg, SCGreenville, SCVirginia Beach, VAHampton, VACulpeper, VAChesapeake, VANorfolk, VANewport News, VANorth Chesterfield, VARichmond, VA (two locations)
