German-owned Lidl, a small-format grocery chain with big ambitions in the United States, is set to add five more stores in metro Atlanta by the end of 2021 as part of a broader expansion that will create 50 new locations and 2,000 jobs along the East Coast.
Lidl already had multiple stores open in the state and plans to open a $100 million distribution center in Covington, east of Atlanta, its fourth such facility in the U.S.
Lidl has 10 Georgia stores listed on its website, including a Dunwoody location that held a grand opening Aug. 26. Announcing the new stores amid a pandemic, the company noted that it provides health coverage for all full- and part-time workers.
Lidl focuses on curating its selection of products, enabling it to pass on lower prices to consumers. An analysis by the business school at the University of North Carolina showed the company undercutting Trader Joe’s — another German-owned chain with relatively small stores —by 45 percent on average. The study found no substantial differnece Lidl’s prices versus Costco and Walmart, but Lidl’s entry into some areas did force competitors to lower prices for staples.
Based north of Stuttgart in Neckarsulm, Germany, Lidl operates 11,000 stores in 32 countries and began its foray into the United States with a country headquarters in Arlington, Va., in 2015. Its first U.S. store opened in 2017. The new additions will bring its total in the country to more than 150.
The five new metro Atlanta locations are to be located in:
| Dunwoody, GA | Mount Vernon Rd |
| East Cobb, GA | Johnson Ferry Rd |
| Marietta, GA | Whitlock Ave SW |
| Sandy Springs, GA | Roswell Rd |
| Woodstock, GA | Bells Ferry Rd |
See the full news release here.
