Lidl Will Open First DC Grocery Store at Skyland Town Center

• May 19, 2019

by Nena Perry-Brown

As D.C. representatives attend the ICSC Retail Conference in Las Vegas, big grocery store news came for Ward 7: the city's first Lidl will open at Skyland Town Center.

The European grocery store will anchor the development at Skyland; the first phase is expected to deliver 263 apartments and 84,500 square feet of retail next summer.

Lidl is a 46 year-old German grocery brand known for its sustainable sourcing and its private-label goods, making it somewhat comparable to a Trader Joe's or Aldi's. Already well-established and -known in Europe, the company opened its first store in the United States in 2017. 

Four years ago, when planning its entry into the DC-area market, Lidl proposed a Maryland location at Branch Avenue and Curtis Drive in Suitland, less than two miles from Skyland Town Center. Although that deal fell through, the chain has since opened a full-size store in Bowie and an express location in Arlington. Lidl also plans to open other locations in the area next year, including in College Park, District Heights and Lanham.

Lidl's commitment to a store in Ward 7, along with the announcement earlier this year of a grocery store on South Capitol Street, are signs of progress amidst long-time disparities in grocery access in Wards 7 and 8 compared to elsewhere in the city. 

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/lidl-announces-first-dc-location-to-be-at-skyland-town-center/15412