Lidl Scraps Plans To Build Store In This Passaic County Community

HAWTHORNE, NJ — German grocery chain Lidl has scrapped plans to build a new store in Hawthorne, the borough's mayor said.

There hasn't been a retail grocery store within borough limits for more than 40 years. Hawthorne's planning board approved plans for Lidl to develop a store at Mohawk Avenue and Goffle/Wagaraw Road back in 2021, as News 12 reported.

Mayor John Lane said the corporate office in Germany pulled the plans, and also stopped construction in several other states, during remarks at the Jan. 8 council meeting.

Lidl did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

As with fellow German grocer Aldi, many of the food options at Lidl are private-label and cost less than at bigger retailers. The store shelves items in the boxes they came in, and encourages customers to bring their own bags to keep overhead to a minimum.

Lidl is somewhat newer than Aldi, with its first modern store open in 1973 whereas Aldi founded their first store in 1961. The company operates more than 12,000 stores and is active in 32 countries, with its U.S. headquarters established in Arlington County, Va. in 2015.

The retailer, which has 23 other stores in New Jersey, also announced plans last year to build a store in Totowa.