Lidl Opens Its First Store in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
LEHIGH VALLEY, PA - Lidl is looking to make Pennsylvania its Stateside domain. The retailer first made headway into the Keystone State in November of last year and, recently, sought $9.5 million in state redevelopment grants for six possible stores in the Philadelphia area. This week, Lidl once again made major moves in Pennsylvania, with The Morning Call reporting that the grocer is opening its first store in the Lehigh Valley on April 24.
“We’re thrilled to open in the community and serve customers there,” said Will Harwood, Director of Communications. Harwood also noted that the store was a $20 million investment that included the building, site remediation, and street work.
The news source reports that Lidl has been trying to open its Lehigh Valley store for the past three years, but corporate scale backs ultimately prevented the chain from making strides toward an opening date.
But that's not all Lidl has in the works this week. News also broke that Lidl was testing out its own convenience-style chain, joining the likes of Whole Foods, Hy-Vee, and even its major global competitor, Aldi. The Washington Business Journal reported that Lidl Express, the retailer’s new convenience-sized store that offers a variety of fresh food and staples, is its first store in Arlington, Virginia. The store is a little more than 1,000 square feet and is located inside Lidl’s U.S. headquarters.
“We are looking at a variety of different store sizes and formats as they come up,” Harwood said. “Right now, it’s [Lidl Express] just this space, but it shows how agile and adaptive Lidl can be.”
While Lidl Express is open for business and ready for shoppers to revel in its convenience, Harwood noted that, as of now, Lidl is not looking to expand its new concept.
Is Pennsylvania now a Lidl-yellow state? Will the market eventually become synonymous with Lidl as Florida is to Publix? And what do all of these grocers-turned-convenience-stores mean for the industry? AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest moves happening on the retail chess board.
