Lidl to make U.S. debut June 15—with low, low prices

German discount grocer Lidl is set to shake up the competition with prices that promise to turn up the heat on its U.S. competitors, who are already engaged in a price war.



Lidl on Wednesday revealed the locations of the first 20 stores it will open this summer in the United States, starting on June 15. (See end of story for listing). The stores — in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia — are the first of up to 100 locations the grocer plans to open across the East Coast by next summer.



Lidl, which operates 10,000 stores in 27 countries, is known for its low prices. The company said Wednesday shoppers can expect grocery prices that are up to 50% less than other supermarkets in the United States. (Based upon a price comparison of comparable products sold at leading national retail grocery stores, the company said.)



The Lidl stores opening this summer are all newly constructed freestanding facilities that Lidl owns and developed. Each will have a footprint of 20,000 sq. ft. and feature only six aisles. About 90% of the high quality groceries available at Lidl will be exclusive brand products.



The merchandise mix will include standard grocery items, along with an on-site bakery, cheeses, fresh and frozen seafood, wines, organic foods and gluten-free options. Stores will also feature a selection of non-food products that will be in stores for a limited time. The selection will include fitness gear, small kitchen appliances, toys, and outdoor furniture and other non-food items.



In the United States, Lidl will find itself head to head with another German low-price grocer, Aldi. In February, Aldi announced an aggressive $1.6 billion investment in its stores, with plans to remodel and expand more than 1,300 of its locations by 2020. http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/supermarket-chain-investing-1-billion-store-remodels



"We are excited to open our first stores in the United States in a few short weeks," said Brendan Proctor, president and CEO of Lidl US. "Lidl is grocery shopping refreshed, retooled and rethought to make life better for all our customers. When customers shop at Lidl, they will experience less complexity, lower prices, better choices, and greater confidence."



Lidl established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia in June 2015. Since then, it has announced regional headquarters and distribution centers in Spotsylvania County, Virginia; Alamance County, North Carolina and Cecil County, Maryland.



Below is a list of the 20 stores that will open in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina during the summer of 2017:

City, State	Address
Kinston, N.C.	4050 W Vernon Ave
Greenville, N.C.	1800 East Fire Tower Rd
Wilson, N.C.	3520 Raleigh Rd Parkway West
Sanford, N.C.	3209 NC 87 South
Rocky Mount, N.C.	940 N Wesleyan Blvd
Winston-Salem, N.C.	3315 Sides Branch Rd
Havelock, N.C.	547 US Hwy 70 West
Rockingham, N.C.	705 US 74 Business East
Wake Forest, N.C.	1120 South Main St
Spartanburg, S.C.	8180 Warren H Abernathy Hwy
Greenville, S.C.	2037 Wade Hampton Boulevard
Virginia Beach, Va.	6196 Providence Rd
Hampton, Va.	2000 W Mercury Blvd
Culpeper, Va.	15169 Brandy Road
Chesapeake, Va.	4033 Portsmouth Blvd
Norfolk, Va.	6440 N Military Hwy
Newport News, Va.	11076 Warwick Blvd
Richmond, Va.	12151 W. Broad St
North Chesterfield, Va. Richmond, Va.	1311 Mall Drive 5110 S Laburnum Ave