Previously proposed Lidl grocery stores appear to be moving forward in Lawrenceville and Suwanee. Both stores, each of which started the planning progress in 2017, according to county documents, could finally break ground in the coming months. The stores are planned for 3530 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County and 2985 Peachtree Parkway in Suwanee in Forsyth County.
Planning documents indicate that the Suwanee store will be about 29,000 square feet, a roughly 7,000 reduction from their originally planned roughly 36,000 square foot size. Sources indicate that the Lawrenceville store will be about the same size. Recent grocery industry chatter has indicated that Lidl had recognized that it might need to reduce the size and specifications of its stores if it hoped to achieve the market penetration it planned.
It's unclear how soon work may start on either store, but sources indicate that visible progress should occur before the end of the year to allow the stores to open by next fall.
Thus far the Germany-based grocery has opened a total of four stores in Georgia of which three are in the metro Atlanta area.
Lidl opened stores at 2641 Powder Springs Road in Austell and 3821 Stone Mountain Highway in Snellville this past January. The grocery also opened at 4844 Floyd Road in Mableton this past February. Lidl's first Georgia store opened in Augusta in 2017.
Additionally, in an effort to make their store items as convenient as possible for shoppers, Lidl partnered with Target-owned Shipt for grocery delivery service. Rival grocer Aldi has an agreement with too, but with Shipt rival Instacart.
Lidl previously abandoned plans for proposed stores in Rome, Sandy Springs (2) and East Cobb, among others, while other stores rumored or in the works in Cumming, Newnan and elsewhere remain indefinitely on hold. Industry chatter suggests that new Lidl stores could replace current or former grocery stores around town like The Fresh Market, Sprouts Farmers Market or Earth Fare.
Part of what reportedly has slowed the grocer's progress are its prime location aspirations and an inexperienced real estate team. Local Atlanta area real estate sources indicate that there has been a fair amount of turnover in recent months as the grocer attempts to get back on track.
Eric Astrin, named in many of the 2017 planning documents as the point of contact for Lidl, was In-House Counsel for the grocer from April 2016 until December 2018. This past January, Astrin joined WeWork as their Director, Real Estate and Special Counsel.
ToNeTo Atlanta reported in May that another Lidl is being planned for a former A&P on Whitlock Avenue in Marietta. In July, Marietta Daily Journal reported that the Marietta City Council approved the planned Whitlock Avenue store despite some opposition from neighboring businesses. The Whitlock store will reportedly not be as large or elaborate as the existing Atlanta area stores and will likely be modeled after the grocer's latest concept. The store is expected to open before the end of 2020.
Have you been to one of the Atlanta area Lidl stores? Do you think Lidl will find success in metro Atlanta? Where do you do the majority of your grocery shopping?
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