Lidl confirms Alabama target

Lidl is in the early stages of planning stores in Alabama, a spokesman confirmed to SN Thursday.

Decatur, Ala., Mayor Tab Bowling in a Facebook post Wednesday night said Lidl would build its first Alabama store in that city. “The ripple effect is tremendous for Decatur,” he said.

Reached by SN Thursday, Lidl spokesman Will Harwood confirmed for the first time that Alabama was in the retailer’s plans but added, “It's very early along in that process, and we have not set any timelines for the state.”

Lidl on Thursday opened its first store in Georgia. The Augusta location marks the hard discounter’s 30th store since debuting its first U.S. locations in June. Earlier this summer, the company said it would build a regional headquarters in Cartersville, Ga., from which it could presumably service stores in Alabama.

Lidl currently is servicing all of its stores through a single distribution center in Fredericksburg, Va., although a second warehouse in Alamance County, N.C., is expected to open before the end of the year.

Lidl, which has U.S. headquarters in Arlington, Va., has previously announced plans to expand along the East Coast between New Jersey and Georgia, and has also acknowledged it was seeking sites in Ohio and Texas.

“Our focus remains in our operations on the East Coast, where we are opening our stores currently,” Harwood said.