Lidl US to open 50 more stores by end of 2021

Lidl US is planning to open 50 new stores across nine states by the end of 2021, upping the German discounter’s total store count to more than 150 stores in the United States.

The store growth is part of a $500 million investment by Lidl that will create roughly 2,000 new jobs in the states where the stores are going: Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. 

Lidl US, based in Arlington County, Va., came to the United States in 2015 and recently has been on a fast track toward growth. This month, the National Retail Federation named Lidl the hottest retailer on its “Hot 100” list of fast-growing retailers, and earlier in the year it opened a new 700,000 square foot distribution center in Maryland’s Cecil County to better serve five nearby states. 

The retailer also was part of a study out of the University of North Carolina that studied the grocer’s Long Island, N.Y., locations and found its pricing to be 45% lower than nearby grocers,  applying price pressures on those stores. 

Aldi — a natural rival to Lidl based on its German roots and store brand assortment — just opened its eighth store on Long Island and has also been growing at an astronomical rate, passing 2,000 stores in the United States this year with its latest announcement of adding 70 stores this year.

As part of Lidl’s ongoing effort to prioritize the most convenient locations, Lidl also will close two stores in Havelock and Shelby, North Carolina. All employees there will be given the opportunity to relocate to another store within Lidl’s growing store network.

Worldwide, Lidl operates in 32 countries across more than 11,000 stores.