Lidl is one of the most successful grocery chains in all of Europe. Successful? How about over…read more10,000 stores?
Lidl is a German surname, which is used instead of Schwarz, the corporate name . They really couldn't call it Schwarz, because that word means 'black' in German, and 'black market' broadcasts all sorts of criminal connotations. So Lidl it is, 10,000+ stores later.
There is a Lidl in Wildeshausen, Germany, where I did some grocery shopping today. First impressions are that this store is neat, clean, spotless, and antiseptic. The shelves are beautifully faced up, and I noticed busy employees efficiently working to keep things that way. It has the look of a Food4Less, but none of the problems usually noticed in that store.
Along the first aisle from the entry, there is a floor-to-ceiling wall of plexiglas drawers containing dozens and dozens of baked goods, from cookies to full loaves of fresh baked bread. A customer can manipulate his choice sideways to a slide using a plastic handle, and it zooms right down into your store-supplied plastic bag. Amazing.
The merchandise selection is not necessarily comprehensive at Lidl. For example, instead of 4 or 5 brands of butter, there are just 2. And yet there is a full aisle of soft drinks, and the selection of wine is mind-boggling. Beer, too. (You can tell where I spent some quality time.) Prices and selection for staple foods like coffee are really good.
Lidl's business model is incredibly successful, no question.
But why over-describe it? Lidl has announced it will land on our shores in 2018. The Germans are coming ! Actually, Aldi has already arrived in Vista, and Chula Vista is opening soon.
The grocery store wars are going nuclear, and the customer will reap the beneficial fallout.