Lidl, Europe’s largest discount grocery chain, is in the initial phases of expanding to…
Plans areheating up for Lidl, a German-based grocer, to expand into the U.S., with another Triad location in the works.
We reported last week that Lexington might be home to the Triad's first Lidl store, with city council approving a zoning permit for a 36,000-square-foot store on Fairview Drive, but a building permit filed this week in another Triad city shows a proposed location there is further along in the process.
A $2.5 million building permit filed byDavid Farhat, whose LinkedIn account indicates he is the director of construction and procurement at MGP Retail Consulting, Lidl's Virginia-based real estate affiliate, shows plans for a grocery store in Winston-Salem. MGP also was involved in the Lexington zoning permit application, with a Bohler Engineering representative filing its behalf.
The Winston-Salem plans call for a shell building for a grocer at 3335 Sides Branch Road, off Peters Creek Parkway and near Lowe's Home Improvement and Wal-Mart Supercenter. An online record shows the permit plans have been reviewed. There is no indication in the online record of the store's proposed size or expected construction start or completion dates.
The permit description shows contact information for Cody Stadler of Little Architecture in Charlotte.
Little Architecture has declined to comment in the past on other Lidl plans we have reported, including proposed locations near Charlotte and in Virginia, where plans indicate the Charlotte-based firm is the designer. Lidl is considering building in Lancaster County, S.C., near Charlotte, on land currently occupied by an animal hospital. In Richmond, Va., development plans call for the demolition of a car dealership to make way for a grocery store.
The Triad Business Journal first reported in April that Lidl is considering a major distribution hub in Alamance County. Lidl operates nearly 10,000 stores globally and is a direct rival to fast-growing Aldi. Last month, Alamance and the cities of Mebane and Graham approved a $5.38 million incentive package to entice European discount grocery chain to move forward on the project.
Lidl and MGP Retail Consulting remain tight-lipped about plans for any stores in the Carolinas, which the distribution center would support. MGP's PR and marketing manager, John Froman, would not confirm any plans.
"As has been reported, Lidl is in the early stages of preparation to operate in the United States," he said in an email. "We are taking steps toward that effort. However, we are not able to comment on any particular transaction at this time."
