Lidl invests $202m in US base in Virginia, promises ‘unique experience for American consumers… unlike anything else in the market’
Around $77m will go into a corporate HQ in Arlington County, creating 500 new jobs, while $125m will be spent on establishing a regional HQ and distribution center in Spotsylvania County, creating 200 jobs, said the firm, which is ALDI’s main rival in Europe, where it operates more than 10,000 stores in 26 countries.
Part of the Schwarz Group, the largest retailer in Europe and one of the largest in the world, Lidl keeps prices low by offering a limited range (SKU count) and a strong private label offer, although it also stocks some national brands.
A spokesman told FoodNavigator-USA: “In the US, as in Europe, we’ll be offering mostly high-quality private label products but we’ll also offer familiar national brands, fresh meat, produce and bakery, and a selection of household goods, plus our own unique offerings.”
Brendan Proctor, President and CEO of Lidl US, said: “We are excited to take this important step to launch Lidl’s expansion into the United States and look forward to introducing American consumers to a different type of shopping experience. Our philosophy is simple: we are focused on offering customers top quality products at the most competitive pricing in convenient locations.”
He added: “We plan to build on the foundation that has made Lidl so successful in Europe, while creating a unique experience for American consumers that will be unlike anything else in the market.”
Privately held by the family-owned Schwarz Group, Lidl generated around $98.3bn in sales last year.
Rival ALDI, which first entered the US in the 1970s, operates nearly 1,400 stores in 32 US states today. It is also expanding rapidly, and plans to open 650 new stores across the country in the next four years, including expanding to Southern California, bringing its total number of US stores to almost 2,000 by the end of 2018.
