LIDL
Opened: 2018
Previous Tenants: none
Location: 2375 US-22, Union, NJ
Photographed: December 2018 & March 2019
We're looking at the supermarket just 300 feet behind yesterday's ShopRite. Built as a new-build store in 2018, the store was one of LIDL's push into the United States early in the process. This store was opening around the time that Forbes and other publications were reporting on how poorly LIDL was entering the market. That article explains that "although LIDL is able to attract customers with its low prices, customers return to their normal shopping behavior after just a few months." That's exactly what's going on here. There was a bit of excitement over the LIDL's opening, but years into its life, the ShopRite remains packed at almost all time, and the LIDL is regularly deserted.
That's not to say the building isn't attractive, because it is. But I'd imagine these buildings are also expensive to construct. Newer LIDLs have simpler store models or are moving into existing buildings, such as what we saw in Park Ridge.
At almost 40,000 square feet, this is a huge LIDL building. Much larger than their average store especially internationally, where the average is closer to 10,000 square feet.
The store's best feature, its bakery, is the single on-site perishables department, and also the main department I didn't get a picture of. You can see lots of interior pictures over on NJ Route 22 here.
We find the interior to be clean and appealing. I just don't like shopping here -- it's the products and environment, not the facility itself.
The store is about 40% nonfoods, with an assortment of general merchandise in the back half of the store. Probably to fill the space given this store's larger size than most discount stores except perhaps Price Rite.
You can see the sloped ceiling across the facility in these last few pictures.
Frozen foods and nonfoods (i.e. junk no one needs) in the last aisle. That's all for this LIDL, we'll be heading to the south to see a closed-then-reopened supermarket we previously saw inside on The Independent Edition!
I had my first LIDL experience in South Carolina recently, in one of these purpose-built locations. Such beautiful buildings! And the bakery blew my expectations out of the water; it was phenomenal. I liked that the store was basically ALDI on steroids -- just a much larger version of what I'm used to. But, just as I don't shop at ALDI regularly, I probably wouldn't do so at LIDL, either. The discount format is better suited for an occasional trip, for me.
ReplyDeleteCertainly beautiful facilities in the new-build locations and a pretty strong bakery. I agree with you about it being a larger version of ALDI -- but I think ALDI's execution is way better. Why am I going to pay $3+ for orange juice at LIDL when I get basically the same orange juice at Food Bazaar or ACME for the same price (and it's 2/$5 almost every week at Food Bazaar)? To me, the prices don't justify the trip, the selection doesn't justify the trip, and the quality most certainly doesn't justify the trip.
DeleteWell said!
DeleteProbably not surprising they would have larger stores here than in other countries - I remember reading years back when Tandy (Radio Shack) first started opening overseas they shrunk their (already not that big) stores due to much higher costs they had in those areas. Also about Delhaize when they bought into Food Lion that was due to not being able to expand at home as the number of "larger" stores (supermarkets) was restricted by those in charge of the country.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the insight!
DeleteI shop occasionally at the LIDL in Weehawken (former ACME) just to see if the place ever improves. I have never been in the store when it felt fully stocked. Always asking myself "is this a supply issue? is this a stocking issue?" The store is not that busy for there to be so many empty shelves throughout. Never see the place with more than two registers open and there are no self-checkouts which I have seen in every other LIDL I've been in.
ReplyDeleteThe bakery does looks to be pretty good but I haven't tried much since everything is being packaged in big mulit-packs due to COVID. Hoping they return to single serve soon so I can sample some of the items. I have purchased two different varieties of their fresh baked bread and both were excellent.
Now if they only would only put that much effort into the produce department! It's just awful. And it's so strange in the Weehawken store that the meat department is smack dab in the MIDDLE of the produce department. I always forget there is more produce on the other side of the meat cases!
I love that... "just to see if the place ever improves". Yeah, most of the LIDL stores I've been to have had stock issues similarly but there are like three employees in the whole store with two of them on registers. I think most LIDLs do have self-checkouts, but I do recall Park Ridge not having them... so maybe some of the newer stores don't have self-checkouts? Or just the ones they got from ACME?
DeleteYeah, I've gotta say that the bakery quality is quite solid but the packaging is not appealing lately. My problem with the bakery once again comes around to the stock... I've visited a random selection of LIDLs at all different times of the day and they're always almost completely sold out. So I'm not sure what's wrong there, either. I will say the chocolate chip cookies are quite good.
And yes once again, produce is quite weak at LIDL, and that is a bizarre layout. I've never been to Weehawken but I see exactly what you mean from photos online. I think LIDL's US execution has been poorly thought-out to say the least, but somehow they seem to keep expanding. What's your take, do you think they'll eventually catch on and really change the market like some people are saying? Or do you think they're expanding way too fast and eventually will run out of money and either close up shop or really reduce their US operations?
I honestly don’t know what to think about Lidl. It was reported widely in the beginning how badly they stumbled but they must have gotten things on track to be able to justify their rapid expansion plans. The only store I can observe closely is the Weehawken location. It does seem to attract a steady stream of shoppers throughout the day but is never terribly busy. And again… nasty produce, empty shelves, long checkout lines and cleanliness issues since day 1 aren’t a recipe for huge success!
DeleteYeah exactly... definitely it's a combined problem of a tough format (discount/limited assortment, which many shoppers dislike) and poor execution when compared to a competitor like ALDI. I assume the US division does enough business to justify the ongoing expansion, but the corporate end also seems to be hitting rough times, with a lot of leadership changes (and just today, Klaus Gehrig who ran LIDL's parent company, announced his resignation over a "very important matter" on which he disagreed with ownership). I wonder whether they'll hit a wall at some point or just plow through and hope for the best.
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