ARLINGTON, Va. -- Lidl has come to America to upset the applecart. Literally.
“Look at the grocery stores here in the U.S. with their stacks of apples,” says Boudewijn Tiktak, senior vice president of purchasing for Lidl U.S., Arlington, Va. “Have you ever thought about how long that apple at the bottom of that pyramid has actually been sitting there? We take freshness very seriously. For us, we use single-layer cases, no bruises, and the apple you’re picking is always the one on top.”
That’s just one of the ways Lidl is planning to take a big bite out of the American market. Company officials also cite Lidl’s hot and crusty store-baked artisan breads, Black Angus beef and 100% triple-certified sustainable seafood, as well as its extensive selection of award-winning wines, cheeses, chocolates and gourmet grocery products—plus limited-offer general merchandise—all marketed at rock-bottom prices and merchandised in a limited-assortment, easy-to-shop format.
“It is our commitment to rethink how grocery is done,” Tiktak says. “For us, that means we deliver on the highest quality at the lowest possible price every single day."
On June 15, Lidl made its stateside debut, opening nine of its first 20 stores in the already competitive North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia corridor. Here's a look inside ...
The aroma of baked-in-store bread is meant to entice customers. Lidl plans to open another 80 stores in 2018 along the Eastern Seaboard, from New Jersey to Atlanta.
About 85% of Lidl’s in-store offerings are private label. The selection includes canned goods, snacks, spreads and dressings, among other product categories.
Lidl stores stock an extensive number of award-winning wines, merchandised with a rating scale so customers can "pick the perfect bottle" for any occasion.
Click here to read more about Lidl's plans for the U.S. market.
Get today’s need-to-know convenience industry intelligence. Sign up to receive texts from CSP on news and insights that matter to your brand.
CSP’s Top 202 details the largest chains in the convenience-store industry and the biggest M&A stories of the past year. Welcome to a deep dive into the c-store landscape.
Category sales performance in Beverages, Candy, General Merchandise, Packaged Food/Foodservice and Snacks.
The industry’s largest distributors by sales volume
Corporate retail news affecting the convenience-store industry
The latest information on products and trends in the convenience-store and foodservice industries.
Peek inside new convenience stores to uncover the best in retail store design across North America.