Lidl is continuing its expansion across the United States, with new stores set to open in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The German discount grocery chain currently operates about 70 stores in the eastern half of the country, and plans to have 100 stores open by mid-2018. Lidl is known for its low prices and wide selection of both food and non-food items.
Lidl’s expansion into the southeastern United States is part of the company’s larger plan to become a major player in the American grocery market. Lidl has already been very successful in Europe, where it operates more than 10,000 stores. The company is hoping to duplicate that success in the United States.
Lidl plans to open its first wave of American stores in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina because those states have a large number of cities with a population of more than 100,000 people. Lidl is also attracted to the Southeast because of its growing economy and increasing population.
The company has not yet announced where specific stores will be located, but it has said that it is looking at sites in Norfolk, Richmond, Charleston, Greenville, and Raleigh. Lidl is expected to announce the locations of its new stores in the coming weeks.
Lidl’s expansion into the United States is part of a larger trend of European grocery chains expanding into the American market. Aldi, another German discount grocery chain, has also been expanding rapidly in recent years and now operates more than 1,600 stores in the United States.
