Lidl

Lidl is a German discount grocery chain headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and part of Schwarz Group, the largest retail company in Europe. The business traces its roots to a fruit wholesaler founded in 1930 by Josef Schwarz, and the first Lidl discount store was opened in 1973 in Ludwigshafen by his son Dieter Schwarz, modeled on the limited-assortment format pioneered by Aldi. Lidl expanded rapidly across Europe from the late 1980s onward and today operates more than 12,000 stores in over 30 countries, making it one of the largest grocery retailers in the world. The chain entered the United States in 2017 and runs stores along the East Coast from its US headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Lidl's format combines a curated range of private-label groceries with weekly rotating non-food offers, in-store bakeries, and low prices driven by lean operations and high private-label penetration. Schwarz Group, which also owns the Kaufland hypermarket chain, generates annual revenues of more than 160 billion euros, and Dieter Schwarz ranks among the wealthiest people in Germany. Lidl invests heavily in its own supply chain, including production facilities for baked goods, beverages, and chocolate, and has grown into a major grocery advertiser and sponsor of European sports, including UEFA European Championship football.