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 ...