EASTERN U.S. - Looking to serve current and future needs, Lidl US has made itself the center of a couple of big announcements this week in both North Carolina and Maryland.

The retailer has sped up the planned opening for a store in Cary, North Carolina, which was planned for later this year. Now planned to open on Wednesday, April 29, Lidl stated it made the move to better serve the community during this time of need, according to news source WRAL.com.

“We know that access to high-quality, low priced food has never been more imperative than during this unprecedented period in our history,” said Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. “We very much appreciate Lidl’s moving forward with this new Cary location and doing so in such a responsible manner.”

That manor includes a soft opening with no ribbon-cutting, as well as a laid out plan for health and safety measures, daily enhanced cleanings, signage detailing social distancing parameters and customer limits, and special shopping hours for seniors and immunocompromised customers.

The 26,543-square-foot store will operate under Lidl’s current adjusted hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Sunday, with protective barriers installed at all Lidl checkout lanes to protect customers and team members during the checkout process.

Almost simultaneously came the announcement that the retailer is continuing to grow its presence in Maryland, having just signed on as the anchor tenant of an existing shopping center.

This latest lease will span 31,000 square feet, according to the Baltimore Sun, with an anticipated open of mid-2021.

The move comes on the heels of having opened a new regional distribution center in the state, adding to the existing nine markets in Maryland Lidl has outlined on its company website. Similar to the North Carolina opening, this site also debuted earlier than expected to serve the community’s needs.

“As we work hard to meet the surging needs of our customers during this critical time, we are thrilled to open our newest regional distribution center in Cecil County, Maryland,” said Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US, at the time of the opening. “The facility will allow us to efficiently deliver our award-winning products to thousands of customers from Maryland to New York and support our expansion across the region. We thank Governor Hogan and local leaders for their tireless support leading up to today.”

AndNowUKnow will bring you the latest as more news for the fresh produce industry on the buy-side and beyond continues to break.

Lidl US