Plans for a new Lidl grocery store and a large distribution hub in the Levittown area have not yet moved forward.
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Lidl, a German-based grocery chain, acquired a lot along New Falls Road in Bristol Township’s Levittown section from Verizon for $2.2 million in 2021, according to county tax records.
A 31,000-square-foot store with 140 parking spaces at 7843 New Falls Road was approved by Bristol Township Council in 2020, but the site now sits quiet and covered in debris after the demolition of the previous building.
Across from Appletree Place, the site does not yet have a grocery store and no signage to indicate its future are in place.
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Lidl, which rhymes with “needle,” never announced an opening date for the store.
Bristol Township officials didn’t comment on the site.
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In addition, Lidl acquired a nearly 69-acre site in the Keystone Trade Center in Falls Township for $145 million last December.
The purchase was part of a plan to establish a distribution center to bolster Lidl’s logistics on the East Coast.
Falls Township officials said they have not yet received plans for the site.
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There have been rumors that Lidl has considered over the past year putting the property up on the market. However, there is presently no public listing for the site.
The site was purchased by Lidl through Mt. Olive Properties LLC and remains under that company’s control. The tax bill mailing address, according to public records, goes to a Lidl office in Virginia.
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The company, which operates more than 170 stores across nine states, has faced challenges in the U.S. market, including slow sales that have prompted a review of new store openings, according to a number of reports.
Lidl has remained a competitor to Aldi, another German grocery chain, with over 12,000 stores globally. Aldi operates two stores in the Levittown area.
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Lidl previously announced it wanted to open a store in Bensalem Township, but those plans didn’t materialize.
The company had planned to build a location at a former Pathmark along York Road in Warminster Township. However, those plans fell apart when Tesla bought the land and opened a car dealership.
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Earlier this year, Lidl submitted plans to build a store on a corn field at the corner of Norristown and Street roads in Warminster Township. While those plans still need approval, the company has already secured the land for $5 million, according to public records.
Lidl’s U.S. operations are headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and the company started in 1973.
A request for comment from Lidl officials was not returned.
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