German discount grocer Lidl, which is well on its way to opening about 100 stores on the East Coast in 2018, confirmed last Friday to Supermarket News that it also plans to expand into Texas. The move is seen as confirmation that the company is targeting competitive grocery markets, as Houston and Dallas are among the most crowded and price competitive in the country, and already include the three largest U.S. grocers – Walmart, Kroger and Albertsons.
Lidl isn’t the first discount grocer to move into Texas, as Aldi has opened nearly 100 stores there since 2010, and says it plans to open hundreds more. Both Lidl and Aldi prefer to locate close to leading traditional supermarkets where they can enjoy a price advantage.
The two companies are anything but strangers, as they compete worldwide for discount grocery market share.