German discounter Lidl is about to open up 20 stores across Virginia and the Carolinas and plans to open 100 stores within the first year of US operations.
The supermarket chain accounts for over 10,000 stores in 27 countries, but its prototype store in America will be larger than the typical size of Lids store overseas, and 35 percent bigger than some its largest stores in Europe. It will offer an ‘edited assortment’ of goods, both from famous brands and private labels. Also, Lidl will sell a rotating array of non-grocery products such as lawn mowers and yoga pants.
“Retailers are preparing themselves for Lidl’s market entry. They are not falling asleep,” said Milos Ryba from retail analysis firm IGD. For example Kroger, the second-biggest US grocer after Wal-Mart, has been expanding its own discount format, while archrival German discounter Aldi, which opened its first American store in 1976, has announced it would invest $1.6 billion in the US market.
