Lidl Fine-Tuning Its U.S. Footprint

Lidl (Neckarsulm, Germany) is shuttering at least five grocery stores in four U.S. states, while also recently adding two new U.S. stores and unveiling plans for another.

As reported by Grocery Dive, Lidl is preparing close underperforming stores in the following cities on July 16: Thomasville, N.C.; Florence, S.C.; Charlottesville and Richmond, Va.; and Howell, N.J.

Meantime, the discount German supermarket chain – which operates about 170 stores on the East Coast – recently opened new stores in Washington, D.C., and Greensboro, N.C. And on July 10, the company was identified as the grocer slated to anchor a mixed-use property being developed in Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Crown Heights neighborhood. (A timetable for that project was not disclosed.)

The recent openings and plans for the Brooklyn store suggest Lidl remains committed to building its U.S. presence, Michael Infranco, assistant vice president of F&D Reports, told Grocery Dive. But the closures also indicate Lidl is refining its site-selection process as it does so.