Lidl Breaks Ground on Regional HQ

Grocer aims to open U.S. stores by 2018

October 27, 2015, 02:35 pm

European retailer Lidl Lidl has broken ground for a new regional headquarters and distribution center in Virginia's Spotsylvania County. State elected officials, business and community leaders joined Lidl US VPs Payton Reid and Christoph Hettinger at the Oct. 27 ceremony. The approximately 1 million-square-foot, $125 million facility is expected to provide 200 jobs in the area and open no later than 2018.

"We chose Spotsylvania not just for its central location, but also for its talented workforce and economic vitality," noted Brendan Proctor, president and CEO of Lidl US. "We look forward to being part of this community and to introducing residents to a unique shopping experience that will be unlike anything else in the market."

In other Lidl news, the retailer earlier this month purchased 4 acres of land in Spotsylvania County for $3.1 million, according to published reports. The retailer plans to build a 36,000-square-foot supermarket on the site, which is located in the city of Fredericksburg. The store site is the second that Lidl has bought in the county. Last August, the grocer acquired two acres in Massaponax.

Additionally, this past June, as part of its plans to enter the U.S. market, Lidl revealed that it wouldestablish its American corporate headquarters in Arlington, Va., located in Arlington County. The company's  investment in this projects is $77 million. In total, Lidl is investing more than $200 million in its Virginia operations and has pledged to create 700 new jobs in the state by 2018.

The Neckarsulm, Germany-based retailer has also said that it intends to open a regional headquarters and distribution center in Alamance County, N.C., and to introduce several small discount stores to the Charlotte, N.C., market.

Lidl operates almost 10,000 stores in 26 countries across Europe. Its chief rival, Aldi, already operates stores in the Fredericksburg area.

The two Virginia locations are also slated to open no later than 2018.