ARLINGTON, VA - Lidl is making no secret of the company’s plans to take on the U.S., and now with the release of its supplier application details, qualifications for store sites, and how to become an employee, it’s clearer than ever what the expansion will look like.

“For over 40 years, Lidl has been a growing presence in the European grocery marketplace,” Lidl’s newly revamped website says. “Through 10,000 stores in 26 countries, we’ve precisely designed every part of our process to deliver the highest quality products at the lowest possible price and the most efficient shopping experience possible. Now, we’re bringing our unique vision for grocery to the US.”

In its search for new U.S. suppliers, Lidl has set up a webpage dedicated to directing companies, including produce companies, on how exactly to end up on the retailer’s shelves. In addition to providing a link where you can submit an application (at the bottom of the page) to become a Lidl supplier, the webpage answers questions like, “Can I send in samples?”, “Do I need any specific certification?”, and “Will I need to have my products tested?” to assuage any supplier uncertainty. 

The retailer has also listed a detailed account of what type of locations it’s looking to place its U.S. stores in on the website. States that Lidl is currently looking to set up shop in include Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, the Carolinas, and Georgia, with average store size being 36,000-square-feet. Other details about its preferred sites include: 

• Opportunities to purchase lots / pads are preferred
• Minimum 3.5 acres to accommodate a stand-alone store with minimum 150 dedicated car parking spaces
• Signalized, full access intersection with high visibility preferred
• Site positioned in an established retail location
• Dense population area within 3 miles
• Traffic counts of more than 20,000 vehicles per day
• Site zoned for grocery retail use

The last section that Lidl highlights on its updated website is its “Find a Career” page, signaling the company might be gearing up for a big influx of new employees. On the page, the company lists details for planned job fairs at many east coast colleges, including at the University of Virginia, Florida State University, the University of Texas - Austin, and Alabama’s Auburn University. Interestingly, many of these job fairs are out of the retailer’s planned areas to build stores.

We predict this wont be the last we hear of Lidl’s expansion plans this year either, so keep watching AndNowUKnow as we relay back any news to the industry.

Lidl