Lidl opened its doors in Kinston in June 2017 but will be closing this summer.

According to a report on the Winsight Grocery Business website, the Kinston Lidl will close. A sign on Lidl’s door indicates they’ll close next week.

Local area resident and Lidl shopper Sarah Bartlett-Pears said, “I was very upset that they built another large building that's going to go vacant and that was an affordable but good quality option that we are now losing."

Lidl operates about 10,500 stores in 29 countries but will be closing its Kinston store, along with its Rockingham location next month.

As part of its ongoing expansion along the East Coast, Lidl US announced plans to open 25 new stores in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia by spring of 2020.

“We are committed to long-term growth in the United States and always strive to locate in the most convenient locations for our shoppers,” Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US, stated in a press release. “These new stores are part of the next steps in our U.S. expansion. Over the next year, we are excited to introduce more customers to Lidl’s award-winning quality, reliably low prices, and convenient shopping experience.”

According to the Winsight Grocery Business website both the Kinston and Rockingham units are similarly situated across the street from a Walmart Supercenter and next door to an Aldi. All employees at the locations will be given the opportunity to relocate and work at other stores within Lidl’s growing markets.

Earlier this week, Lidl also announced it will hold a hiring event to fill around 100 new positions at its regional headquarters and distribution center in Alamance County.

“I am disappointed,” Snow Hill resident and Lidl shopper Nita Edwards said. “I shop there weekly for fresh produce, dairy products and bakery items. I’ll miss the prices and quality of their products. It was always a pleasant experience.”

New Lidl stores will be opening soon in several N.C. locations, including in Cary, Charlotte, Matthews, Greensboro, Raleigh and Wilmington.

At this time, Lidl has not responded to a request from Neuse News about why the Kinston location was chosen to close.