Last updated on December 17th, 2020 at 01:47 pm
Lidl will hold a soft opening Wednesday, May 27, at its new food market at 2985 Peachtree Parkway in Suwanee, Georgia. This location will be Lidl’s 100th store in the United States. The company currently employs more than 5,000 team members across nine East Coast states.
To keep customers and employees safe during the public health emergency, Lidl will hold a soft opening in Suwanee without a ribbon cutting. The store will operate under adjusted hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Sunday.
“We congratulate Lidl and the residents of Suwanee on the grand opening of Lidl’s 100th store,” said Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp. “We are grateful for Lidl’s expanding investment in Georgia, and more than ever, we appreciate how important it is for Georgians to have access to high-quality food at an affordable price. We also appreciate the commitment of this store and so many others to maintain proper health guidelines so they can operate safely, keep people employed and meet critical needs during COVID-19.”
Including the location in Suwanee, Lidl US has a total of six stores in Georgia employing more than 200 team members. It is also building a regional distribution center in Covington, Georgia, which will create 270 new full-time jobs.
“Next week’s opening represents an important milestone in our mission to deliver outstanding quality products at the lowest possible prices to our customers in the United States,” said Roman Heini, chairman of Lidl US. “We plan to continue to build new stores, ramp up our hiring efforts and expand our network of distribution centers to reach even more customers in the years ahead. We look forward to forging new and strong relationships with everyone who helps make our journey possible.”
“We are immensely proud of the Lidl US team, who has accomplished a tremendous amount in a few short years to bring us to this point,” said Johannes Fieber, president and CEO. “The entire team is working hard to provide high quality, fresh products to our shoppers, and we see how important this is every day during this time of unprecedented need. Our team cannot wait to serve the community in Suwanee and continue to open new stores in the U.S.”
Lidl’s top priority is the health and safety of its customers and team members. Below are key measures that will be in place at the new Suwanee store:
- Daily enhanced cleanings: The company has introduced an enhanced, daily cleaning and sanitization regimen in all stores utilizing EPA-recommended cleaning agents approved for use against COVID-19. The daily cleaning is supplemented by specialized third-party sanitization of its stores conducted on a weekly basis.
- Customer Limits and Social Distancing Signage: Lidl will be temporarily limiting the number of customers in store at one time to approximately five customers per 1,000 s.f. A designated team member will be stationed at the entrance of the store, keeping track of customer counts, disinfecting carts and directing customers to queue once that limit has been reached. Lidl also has added signage in the store and on the floor to enforce social distancing, as well as in-store announcements reiterated throughout the day.
- Special shopping hours for seniors and immunocompromised customers: The company offers special shopping hours for customers over the age of 65 and those with health conditions that put them at higher risk for complications related to COVID-19. The special shopping hours will be from 7-8 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at all Lidl stores. Prior to entering the store during these times, shoppers will be greeted by a Lidl line attendant who will ask them to affirm their understanding of our policy prior to entering the store.
- Protective shields at all Lidl check lanes: Protective barriers are being installed at all checkout lanes to protect customers and team members during the checkout process. Lidl also encourages the use of contactless payment.
Protecting team members
Lidl is also taking a number of significant steps to protect its team, including:
- Healthcare for all Lidl employees: Lidl offers comprehensive medical coverage to all full- and part-time employees, regardless of the number of hours they work per week. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lidl developed a first-in-the-industry program with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to give all Lidl employees—including those hired temporarily during this public health emergency—access to comprehensive COVID-19 medical coverage at no cost.
- Enhanced attendance policy: Employees infected by the virus, or those who work in a store or facility that is included within a government or company-instituted quarantine will be provided with up to 14 days of paid administrative leave while away from work.
Employees over the age of 65, or those with documented conditions the CDC has determined place them at high risk of complications due to the virus, are eligible for paid administrative leave during the public health emergency.
- Masks and gloves for all Lidl store employees: Lidl is committed to supplying personal protective equipment to its teams during this health emergency. Lidl is providing protective masks and five pairs of disposable protective gloves for every employee on each shift.
Lidl operates more than 11,000 stores and is active in 32 countries, employing around 287,000 employees globally. Lidl first established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, in June 2015, and today sells its award-winning products in 99 stores across nine east coast states.
