US: Lidl changes plan to enter US | Progresiv
German discount supermarket chain Lidl has delayed a plan to enter the U.S. market until 2018 after the surprise departure of two top executives last month, Reuters reports. Klaus Gehrig, CEO of the Schwarz Group which owns Lidl, said that preparations to enter the United States were proceeding apace but the first stores were only planned for 2018. His comments were confirmed by a Lidl spokeswoman. 
Lidl had been expected to open 100 stores in the United States as early as next year, mainly in East Coast markets like its German arch-rival Aldi. Lidl is also planning to expand to Serbia and Lithuania. Lidl declined to comment on the reason for the delay, but German media and analysts have speculated it could be linked to the departure last month of the group's long-serving chairman. (www.freshplaza.com)
