Lidl is getting ready to launch its supermarkets in the U.S. this week.
With stores in North Carolina and South Carolina, Lidl will bring its European value grocery concept to the U.S. on June 15. The 10 grand openings are the first of 100 stores the company plans for its initial expansion in the U.S.
With its direct rival Aldi, which already has about 1,600 stores in the U.S., Lidl has the potential of advancing a transformation of food retailing in the U.S. from a supermarket-centric model to a more diverse marketplace.
Lidl is the most direct rival of Aldi in Europe and uses the same kind of grocery-focused low-price strategy, dubbed deep discount, keeping formats small and simple, while merchandising directly from shipped cartons. The company operates 10,000 stores in 27 countries.
Aldi, along with its corporate sister operation Trader Joe’s already have contributed to a significant change in how Americans shop for food, along with supercenters, discounters, warehouse clubs and dollar stores. However, Lidl, already among the largest grocery retailers in the world, is likely to intensify the process.
