The fast-growing Lidl supermarket chain has signed a deal to open a second location in Ashburn. The new grocery store will be in the as-yet-unbuilt Ashbrook Marketplace shopping center at the intersection of Russell Branch Parkway and Ashburn Village Boulevard.
You’ll recall The Burn broke the story (here) about the first Lidl coming to Ashburn — a location currently under construction in the Broadlands. Lidl is a German grocer with some 10,000 locations in Europe. It recently began a heavy push into the United States and opened its first stores along the East Coast this summer. It’s a major competitor to ALDI, another German-based company. (Check out this link to see our “sneak peek” inside a new Lidl grocery store.)
The Ashbrook Marketplace shopping center will be going up on a vacant parcel of land immediately in front of the existing Ashbrook Commons shopping center. That shopping center has a Harris Teeter grocery store, so this is an interesting development. Other new tenants for Ashbrook Marketplace are expected to be announced soon.
There is a caveat to this Lidl news — while the lease is signed, there are provisions that could allow the grocer to change gears. But we’re told its “99 percent” a done deal, which is pretty darn close.
(Image at top and bottom: Lidl)
What are they going to do with the huge empty Harris Teeter after it closes because of the competition? Fresh Market closed right down the road not long after Whole Foods opened. What is going to go there? Too many grocery stores, too close together!
I honestly don’t even see how that Harris Teeter is still in business. The only things I’ve bought there in the past 5 years are some of their big $5 pumpkins for Halloween. When all “deals” require having a loyalty card and buying multiples of things, they’re not really deals.
Another Lidl??? Whyyyyy????
Why not? If there is customer volume to sustain two in Ashburn, what does it matter?
‘@Patty- Interesting you brought this up. The WSJ just had an article on this (Aug 1st issue) regarding the huge number of stores opening and the square footage allocated just for food sales. They also predict stores closing as the number is unsustainable.
@Patty- Interesting you brought this up. The WSJ just had an article on this (Aug 1st issue) regarding the huge number of stores opening and the square footage allocated just for food sales. They also predict stores closing as the number is unsustainable.
This makes no sense to me at all. Patti, the closing of the Fresh Market was a shock and I agree that the competition is already overwhelming. Do you shop at Wegman’s, Harris Teeter, Giant, Whole Foods or Aldi. Target, Walmart… the list goes on. Show me a food desert in Loudoun. Anybody. While everyone is yapping about a Potomac River Crossing the vacant land in Eastern Loudoun continues to be haphazardly developed. Look at what happened to the churches in Sterling that have made way for small shopping centers. Wouldnt it make more sense to move into already vacant space and not mow over existing green space. I hear space is open in Dulles Town Center.
I always thought Fresh Market was an overrated and overpriced store–even worse than Whole Foods–so they won’t be missed. Harris Teeter was pretty revolutionary when they first came to the area 15-20 years ago and the only options were Safeway and Giant, but it’s now just as awful. I still refuse to shop at both of those big dinosaurs after their union shenanigans way back when. Wegmans and Aldi are now my go-to for just about everything. I’m looking forward to having TJ and Lidl as sort of a mid-tier between Aldi and Wegmans.
The new LIDL looks almost ready but I guess the roads need work. Any word on date for opening?
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