Lidl will open first U. S. stores on June 15

Lidl, one of the world's largest grocery retailers, announced Wednesday that it will open its first stores in the U.S. on June 15. 

The Germany-based company also revealed the location of 20 stores that will open during the summer of 2017, including nine stores in Virginia. They will be located in Virginia Beach, Hampton, Culpeper, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Newport News, Richmond (two locations) and Chesterfield County.

By next summer, Lidl said it plans to open up to 100 stores across the East Coast, creating a total of 5,000 U.S. jobs.

“We are excited to open our first stores in the United States in a few short weeks,” Brendan Proctor, president and CEO of Lidl U.S., said in a statement.  “When customers shop at Lidl, they will experience less complexity, lower prices, better choices, and greater confidence.”

Besides the nine stores in Virginia, Lidl will open stores in North Carolina and South Carolina during the summer.

Lidl, a discount retailer, says shoppers can expect high-quality goods and groceries at up to 50 percent less than at other supermarkets in the U.S. The stores opening this summer will have what the company described as an ”easy-to-shop” layout of 20,000 square feet with six aisles.

Lidl offers fresh baked goods, fresh and frozen seafood and organic and gluten-free options. The company said that about 90 percent of its groceries would be exclusive brand products. Lidl also offers a changing selection of non-food products in stores for a limited time. They include fitness gear, small kitchen appliances, toys, and outdoor furniture.

Their stores will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Sunday.

Lidl operates about 10,000 stores in 27 countries throughout Europe. It established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington County in June 2015. Since then, it has announced regional headquarters and distribution centers in Spotsylvania County; Alamance County, N.C.; and Cecil County, Md.