Faced with slower-than-expected store openings and lagging behind competitor Aldi, Arlington, VA-based Lidl US BB #:338746 has reportedly laid off 200 of its corporate office staff.
The layoffs do not include store-level personnel, according to a statement from the company.
Spokesperson Chandler Spivey told Fox News 5 that the company is “continually evaluating our operations to ensure we are supporting our stores effectively.”
German news source Lebensmittle Zeitung reported that the company is “streamlining” its U.S. operations, and had a previous round of corporate layoffs as it lagged growth of fellow German grocer Aldi.
Lidl entered the U.S. in 2017, with stores initially planned for the East Coast and expansion to other regions, including Texas. The company scrapped Texas plans in 2020 to focus on expansion on the Eastern Seaboard.
Lidl has 170 stores in nine states, compared to Aldi’s more than 2,270 stores in 39 states.
