The Lidl at 12151 W. Broad St. in Short Pump. (Michael Schwartz photo)
Lidl is about to snuff out its Short Pump outpost, one of the original stores that blazed the German grocer’s trail into the Richmond market six years ago.
The chain’s shop at 12151 W. Broad St. is scheduled to close July 16, according to signage at the store’s entrance.
The 36,000-square-foot store anchors the commercial section of the GreenGate development near the intersection of West Broad Street and North Gayton Road. Other tenants include The Cocky Rooster, Cyclebar and Wong’s Tacos among others.
The GreenGate store opened alongside three other locations as part of Lidl’s initial July 2017 entry into the Richmond area. The company said the store was performing poorly, which led to the decision to close it.
“This was an underperforming location, and we made the strategic decision to close this location so we can focus on the locations that are closer and more convenient to more of our customers and where we are seeing significant growth,” Lidl spokesperson Chandler Spivey said in an email Monday.
Signs at the Short Pump store point customers to other Lidl locations in the region.
The company has five other stores in the greater Richmond region; An additional west Henrico store at 9101 Hermitage Road; 4700 W. Broad St. in Richmond; 1311 Mall Drive near Chesterfield Towne Center; 5110 S. Laburnum Ave. in eastern Henrico; and 11701 Iron Bridge Road near Chester, according to its website.
The Short Pump closure coincides with a handful of other Lidl closures in Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey, according to multiple press reports, which state that Lidl is closing the stores due to underperforming sales at those locations. The chain also is closing its Charlottesville store, according to a NBC29 report.
As Lidl retreats from Short Pump, it’s also apparent the chain has nixed plans for a store in Mechanicsville. A site the company bought there in 2017 was recently rezoned and is set to be sold to an out-of-town auto dealer.
Lidl leases its GreenGate building from Baltimore-based Klein Enterprises, which purchased it as part of an eight-building, $31 million deal in 2021. The acquisition was for the entire Row at GreenGate, the retail and restaurant section of the 75-acre mixed-use development.
Klein bought the buildings from Markel | Eagle, the local private equity firm that developed GreenGate beginning in 2012. The Row spans just under 100,000 square feet.
The Short Pump Lidl is at least the second local grocery store set to close this month. Walmart also is closing its Neighborhood Market store at 5221 Brook Road in Northside. The store, which opened eight years ago, is slated to close July 28.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a statement from Lidl about the decision to close the store.
The Lidl at 12151 W. Broad St. in Short Pump. (Michael Schwartz photo)
Lidl is about to snuff out its Short Pump outpost, one of the original stores that blazed the German grocer’s trail into the Richmond market six years ago.
The chain’s shop at 12151 W. Broad St. is scheduled to close July 16, according to signage at the store’s entrance.
The 36,000-square-foot store anchors the commercial section of the GreenGate development near the intersection of West Broad Street and North Gayton Road. Other tenants include The Cocky Rooster, Cyclebar and Wong’s Tacos among others.
The GreenGate store opened alongside three other locations as part of Lidl’s initial July 2017 entry into the Richmond area. The company said the store was performing poorly, which led to the decision to close it.
“This was an underperforming location, and we made the strategic decision to close this location so we can focus on the locations that are closer and more convenient to more of our customers and where we are seeing significant growth,” Lidl spokesperson Chandler Spivey said in an email Monday.
Signs at the Short Pump store point customers to other Lidl locations in the region.
The company has five other stores in the greater Richmond region; An additional west Henrico store at 9101 Hermitage Road; 4700 W. Broad St. in Richmond; 1311 Mall Drive near Chesterfield Towne Center; 5110 S. Laburnum Ave. in eastern Henrico; and 11701 Iron Bridge Road near Chester, according to its website.
The Short Pump closure coincides with a handful of other Lidl closures in Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey, according to multiple press reports, which state that Lidl is closing the stores due to underperforming sales at those locations. The chain also is closing its Charlottesville store, according to a NBC29 report.
As Lidl retreats from Short Pump, it’s also apparent the chain has nixed plans for a store in Mechanicsville. A site the company bought there in 2017 was recently rezoned and is set to be sold to an out-of-town auto dealer.
Lidl leases its GreenGate building from Baltimore-based Klein Enterprises, which purchased it as part of an eight-building, $31 million deal in 2021. The acquisition was for the entire Row at GreenGate, the retail and restaurant section of the 75-acre mixed-use development.
Klein bought the buildings from Markel | Eagle, the local private equity firm that developed GreenGate beginning in 2012. The Row spans just under 100,000 square feet.
The Short Pump Lidl is at least the second local grocery store set to close this month. Walmart also is closing its Neighborhood Market store at 5221 Brook Road in Northside. The store, which opened eight years ago, is slated to close July 28.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a statement from Lidl about the decision to close the store.
Yasmine Hamad and I brought Lidl to that spot as a ground lease prior to the company’s policy of avoiding buyer-broker representation. It was their second acquisition in the US in a plan to build 1000 stores here. I wonder where they stand on that plan?
I would expect the rent was outrageous in that part of town, no way a discount store could ever sell enough off brand items to cover…
I think they own the building and lease the land. They’ll be on the hook for that lease another decade or two. They’ll be looking for a tenant to offset that cost.
By the looks of things, it seems Lidl wasn’t as successful here in the U.S. as their arch rival Aldi.
yeah they never even got above 20% of 1000 store goal and now they’re shrinking.. 179 stores as of end June.
Also, doesn’t bode well for a grocery store in Manchester. People have mentioned smaller stores like Lidl, Aldi, and Walmart neighborhood markets. I even thought that as the area might reach critical mass soon but two of the three are closing stores in metro Richmond not opening.
Coming soon to Manchester. Stay tuned.
Heard that since 2019/2020 on this site and others as we move halfway through 2023. Hope it happens but I don’t see a full service, national chain opening before 2027-30.
Unfortunately Lidl couldn’t deal with the competition in the surrounding area. It will be interesting to see what replaces Lidl.
Right, Wegman’s was right across the street and there was an Aldi right down the street as well as Publix and Kroger also down the street.
And Trader Joe’s, and Tom Leonard’s, and Whole Foods, and Walmart…
Not so sure their model is all that bad, I simply think this store was not well placed. Too close to way too much competition and not as visible/accessible.
Model is not bad? Business model as of last year called for 10 new stores in NJ. That has been scrapped and they too are seeing closings. Some of the closings are stores LESS than 3 years. And Mechanicsville is not the only place across the nation they are selling off land they owned that was for others stores they never built. Not sure their model is good if store placement leads to excess competition and under performing stores that close.
The actual Mechanicsville location was very bad but not the idea of locating in Mechanicsville because the people from King William, King George & Essex stop at the grocery stores in Mechanicsville (360) on their way home. This makes the groceries along 360 kind of crowded. Ironically, Kroger revived their plan to build a larger store down the street so the current Kroger location would have been perfect for Lidl to build on (they’d have to demolish the current Kroger store, though).
My guess is a for lease sign that lasts at least two years.
It seems as though the discount grocery stores such as Aldi and Lidl might do well in some lower income areas that are in desperate need of a grocery store. We have an Aldi close to our house and we use it nearly daily. I think our grocery bill is roughly half of what it would be if we shopped at Publix (which I love by the way). It just seems like there’s a market for a place like Aldi or Lidl in some of these areas where standard grocery stores can’t justify the cost.
There’s an Aldi right across/down the street from the Short Pump Lidl so I’m guessing shoppers with lower budgets in mind went there instead of Lidl …the Lidl probably would’ve done better if that Aldi wasn’t there.
Green Gate was a poor choice due to market saturation – and Broad Street in Short Pump is a nightmare these days. I preferred many of Lidl’s products over what Aldi offers. However, I won’t make the trip to their Broad Street or Hermitage Road locations. Wish they would open something north of Broad in the Cox/Nuckols Rd/I-295 corridor where they could draw customers from many large neighborhoods, the massive Innsbrook residential expansion, and nearby Hanover County. Sorry to see them leave.
Please, please come to Colorado Springs. I am living in a food desert.