Dive Brief:

• Lidl said it will open another wave of stores on Long Island by next summer, bringing the total number of locations in the region to eight, according to a company press release.
• The four stores, which are located in the communities of East Meadow, Oakdale, Patchogue and Lake Grove, will be remodeled Best Market locations the discounter picked up last year as part of a 27-store acquisition.
• The stores will be joined by an additional four stores set to open in early 2020, which the discounter announced in May.

Dive Insight:

Now that Lidl has made clear its strategy in utilizing the Best Market locations it acquired, it’s full steam ahead with expansion on Long Island. The populous island is already home to Lidl competitors including Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, ShopRite and Stop & Shop. It also houses a number of high-end and specialty grocers. For Lidl to gain ground in the U.S., it has to have a presence in bustling areas like this.

The latest release doesn’t provide details on the new store formats or layout or whether or not the company will rebuild any portion of the existing Best Markets, but it said the "newly fitted-out" facilities feature an easy-to-shop layout and streamlined shopping experience.

Lidl spokesperson Will Harwood previously told Grocery Dive that its first wave of Long Island stores would follow the company’s traditional store model. 

The grocer’s Long Island expansion is part of a greater rollout on the East Coast, which will include 25 stores in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania by next spring. In total, the grocer expects to have 100 stores in the U.S. by the end of 2020. 

Though retail job seekers have plenty of employment options on Long Island, Lidl is looking to attract talent with the newly added benefit of full medical benefits for full and part-time employees. The grocer said it has also raised its minimum wage for store associates in Long Island to $15 an hour.