After being in the works for over two years, a new grocery store along one of New Jersey’s busiest thoroughfares is expected to open next month.
Lidl has announced that the company’s new market at 2365 Route 22 West in Union will open its doors on Wednesday, November 14. A grand opening celebration will be held at 7:40 a.m. and the store will be open to customers immediately afterward, according to a statement from a Lidl spokesperson. The Union location will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and include six aisles.
The store was built from scratch where Indian Motorcycle of Northern New Jersey and the Mack Boring & Parts Company used to stand. Jersey Digs broke the story regarding this location at the beginning of 2017 after it was approved by the Union Township Zoning Board of Adjustment. During one of the board’s meetings in 2016, Lidl’s U.S. real estate development manager reportedly mentioned that the store would hire 30 to 35 people and just close to 75 percent of items sold inside would be from Lidl’s private labels.
Like Aldi, which also has a store in Union, Lidl is based in Germany and operates smaller grocery stores. Lidl’s American offices are in Arlington, Virginia, and their only current location in New Jersey is in Cumberland County. However, two Monmouth County locations are also expected to open this fall and additional stores are on the way.
The company was initially planning to open plenty of other stores in the United States, but plans for some, including a location in Flemington, have been put on hold or canceled.
Lidl differs from some other chains in that it typically buys the land where it opens its stores instead of leasing space in plazas. Last year, the company spent $8.625 million for the property in Union, according to NJ Parcels.
