(Originally published July 27, 2017)
Lidl is the newest chain of grocery stores in the U.S. Their first locations opened earlier this month in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Based in Germany, Lidl has over 10,000 stores across Europe. Eventually, the company plans to own and operate over 200 stores along the East Coast from Georgia to New Jersey.
What is Lidl? Lidl is kind of like Aldi. They offer no-frills shopping with store brands. Lidl’s food prices are among the lowest in the area. Like Aldi, you have to bring your own bags. Unlike Aldi, you do not have to pay a 25 cent deposit to use a shopping cart. The size of each Lidl store is expected to be 30,000-36,000 square feet. That’s roughly twice the size of existing Aldi stores.
Where is Lidl? Currently, Lidl is operating in 3 states:
NORTH CAROLINA
– Greenville
– Havelock
– Kinston
– Norfolk
– Rockingham
– Rocky Mount
– Sanford
– Wake Forest
– Wilson
– Winston-Salem
SOUTH CAROLINA
– Greenville
– Spartanburg
VIRGINIA
– Chesapeake
– Chester
– Culpepper
– Hampton
– Norfolk
– North Chesterfield
– Richmond
– Virginia Beach
80 additional stores are expected by next summer, bringing the total to 100.
What does Lidl sell? Packaged foods, wine (where permitted), fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh and frozen fish, baked goods, plus gluten-free and organic products. From the ads and flyers I’ve seen, Lidl stores will be a happy place for those of us who love cheap food deals. If you buy groceries and you like to save money, give Lidl a try!