Lidl Prepares for US Entry

As grocery-store chain Lidl (Neckarsulm, Germany) prepares to open its first stores in the U.S., the company has opened a prototype store in Fredericksburg, Va., where it is testing different concepts and store designs to see what will work for American customers.

For instance, the 21,000-square-foot prototype store is about 35 percent larger than its largest stores throughout Europe. The larger size is to accommodate a wider array of items, such as chilled beer and free bakery samples, to appeal to customers.

The company will be opening 20 stores this summer throughout Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Originally, it had planned to open these stores in 2018, reports The Washington Post.