Surprise Yourself Find Out if Lidl is Open Today and Get Ready for the Deals

According to German trade press, Lidl announced a management change that will lead to new supervision in Germany of the U.S. market. Though local U.S. management disputes aspects of the store which pointed to “frighteningly weak” performance at some of the current 37 stores, it does seem to be a signal that conquering the U.S. may be a bit more difficult than first planned. From Tesco’s ill-fated Fresh & Easy effort to a long litany of other foreign chains that have failed to succeed, breaking into the U.S. market can be more difficult than it would appear.

I had a chance to visit one of the North Carolina units a few weeks back. After the much publicized initial burst of stores and very high consumer demand, I would characterize the store we visited as one of the under-performers. Traffic was light, in-store programs like sampling were being poorly executed and there was a general low energy level that signifies poor results.

There are some excellent moments as well. Leading with an in-store bakery adds a greater element on fresh, as does the expanded produce area. The wine section is well done, and prices on private label are very sharp.

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However, when competing head to head against Aldi, I would give their more established German competitor the edge. The Aldi stores, particularly the newer and remodeled units, are better merchandised and better designed to sustain lower costs and prices.

Lidl is an enormously tough competitor. Well capitalized and easily capable of making course corrections, they are not to be taken lightly, despite some early miscues. The road to 500 or 1, 000 or 1, 500 stores, however, must begin with a store model that works. I don’t see that yet. It will be interesting to see if new corporate management makes any significant course corrections.

Is a premier international retail consultancy bringing deep experience with world class clients. Our partners have extensive experience interpreting the retail marketplace and converting insights into successful strategies. We help clients develop innovative solutions in strategy development, the customer experience, new concepts, brand performance, retail performance improvement and retail intelligence services.Money expert Howard is a big fan of Aldi because it can save you lots of money on your groceries, but there’s new competition from another supermarket chain with German roots — Lidl!

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Has visited Lidl overseas (the company has 10, 000+ locations in Europe) and described the stores as “exceptional” — so I just had to hit the road to see it for myself.

When I walked up to the store, I reached into my pocket for a quarter to grab a shopping cart. However, that isn’t necessary. Lidl’s U.S. stores don’t require shoppers to deposit a quarter to use a shopping cart.

The first thing I saw inside the store was the sign for the “Fresh 5” specials in the produce department, but Lidl confirmed to that it has changed this promotion for the better.

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Lidl has bright orange signs throughout the store to highlight additional price reductions. This large meat lovers pizza was only $4.84  — 50% off its original price.

Speaking of prices, shoppers may not know where to look at first. Unlike most stores that list prices below the item, Lidl’s price tags are directly above the item.

Even though there are some brand names mixed in, about 90% of Lidl’s products are from its own brand, which the company says matches the quality of the big national brands.

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When you see the Preferred Selection label, you’re getting Lidl’s premium house brand. The product line is inspired by European culinary traditions and offers seasonal favorites.

Bread and pastries are baked fresh throughout the day at Lidl. The bakery is positioned at the front of the store and has a self-service machine to slice your loaf of bread.

If you like to buy organic items, look for products in green boxes with the word “organic” printed on them. Lidl displays items in cardboard boxes to reduce the time it takes associates to stock the store.

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Want an even better deal? Items that are near the “best by” date will feature orange stickers with an extra discount, such as these 30%-off packages of chicken legs.

Lidl’s money-back guarantee for its private label products is similar to the one offered by Aldi. If you don’t like an item that’s marked with Lidl’s “Love It Guarantee, ” you can get a refund and a replacement.

You can find a lot more than just groceries at Lidl. The “Lidl Surprises” section in the middle aisle offers a selection of non-food products like toys, seasonal decor, kitchen appliances and clothing.

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Lidl is trying to make it easier for you to pick a bottle of wine that you’ll love. It has a 100-point rating system, as well as color coding to help you find wines by taste — such as “fresh and fruity” and “ripe and rich.”

This $2.89 bottle of sweet red wine appears to be a hot seller. It has a 93 score, which is outstanding on Lidl’s scale.

To keep the line moving fast at checkout, Lidl customers need to bag their own groceries. You can save money by bringing your own bags, but they’re also available for purchase for about 10 cents each.

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When I went to pay, I noticed a prompt to enter loyalty club information. That’s where the MyLidl app comes in. You can download it for exclusive coupons, plus the latest sale ads and store openings.

Lidl’s modern and clean store made a good first impression. Each location is about 20, 000 square feet and has only six aisles, so I found that it was easy to navigate as a newbie.

Despite the fact that Lidl stores are smaller than traditional grocery stores, I think I could probably find all of the items on a typical shopping list — unless I had a recipe that called for a specific brand.

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