Update: Lidl to open long-vacant location in Bear

Lidl's employment site  shows  an opening for an entry level full-time  associate with a pay range of between $17 and $19 an hour, with a target start date of May 25. DelawareOnline reported the store will open this  summer.

The Lidl location  was completed three years ago but never opened its doors. It had since  been dubbed a "zombie" supermarket with an empty parking lot.

It was widely reported that drainage issues that had been a problem for the previous property owner were the reason for not opening the store. The issues were reportedly resolved some time ago.

The store location was the site of a long-running nursery business, with a proposed Taco Bell reportedly planning a location on the tract.

The German grocer has struggled to gain a foothold in the US market while rival Aldi continues to expand nationwide. Lidl has 185 stores in the US and 12,000 worldwide.

Lidl has two Delaware stores in Middletown and Dover but backed out of a plan to construct a location in the Brookside area south of Newark.

Lidl has also seen CEO turnover as it struggled with store locations and  competitors blunting its low-price advantage. One blogger suggested the company needs to acquire a compatible grocery chain that would expand its footprint and give it critical mass.

Meanwhile, the Council on Development Finance recently approved a state grant for a $550 million Aldi warehouse a short drive from the Lidl store at an industrial park south of New Castle.  The project comes with a lengthy 2030 timeline  and includes  heavy use of robotics. 

Lidl has a similar strategy to Aldi, making heavy use of private label brands at discount prices and offering a wide variety of non-grocery items, including tools, housewares, and garden supplies.

Unlike Aldi, Lidl operates an in-store bakery with fresh bread and pastries and, based on the layout of the Middletown store, has a more extensive meat department. Lidl does not operate a butcher shop or staffed deli.