Lidl intends to cross the Atlantic too

Last week, the German discount supermarket chain Aldi announced the opening of 45 stores in California within the next 18 months to begin with, their goal being a network of 2,000 supermarkets in the United States in three years from now. The very same week, Lidl, another German discount grocer - and Aldi's main competitor - made an identical statement and revealed they are ready to start their expansion on the American soil. Lidl operates nearly 10,000 stores in Europe, with nearly half in Germany and France. Lidl's concept is the same as Adldi's: great products cheap.

"Our philosophy is simple: we are focused on offering customers top quality products at the most competitive pricing in convenient locations. 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" said Brendan Proctor, formerly leading the Ireland sector and now in charge of the US introduction. Arlington, Va. will be the location of Lidl's corporate headquarters. The logistic center will be located in Spotsylvania County. For both places, Lidl is investing $202 million and intends to create 700 jobs. Accurate numbers haven't been officially unveiled yet but rumor has it that Lidl is planning the opening of a hundred locations for 2018, considering larger stores than its rival Aldi (10,000 square foot).

*Photo: Ardfern