Photos: Lidl opens McLean grocery store, reports ‘great turnout’

McLean residents turned out in force yesterday (Wednesday) for the grand opening of Fairfax County’s newest Lidl — its first north of I-66.

Starting with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:40 a.m., the 25,000-square-foot grocery store saw a steady stream of customers pack the parking lot at 1330 Chain Bridge Road, drawn by promises of giveaways and special deals.

Upon entering the store, visitors were greeted by bold yellow signs touting the chain’s reputation for low prices and the warm scent of fresh bread and pastries, which proved irresistible to at least one shopper.

“I was very impressed with the bakery,” she said, noting that she doesn’t normally buy baked goods but decided to grab some this time.

A first-time Lidl patron, the McLean resident said she typically frequents Trader Joe’s and ALDI with the Giant Food just down the road as a “fallback.” However, the arrival of a coupon flier and a friend who likes Lidl convinced her to check out the new store, which she thought had “variety” and was “well-stocked.”

Another shopper told FFXnow that she has visited the store in Merrifield, but the McLean location will be more convenient, since it’s “basically right across the street from us.”

“It’s a little crowded,” she said, expressing hope that the store will be calmer after the grand opening excitement fades.

In anticipation of a busy day, Lidl set up two extra checkout counters to accommodate shoppers with smaller items, according to an employee. The store has six permanent checkout bays.

Lidl views the store’s opening as a decided success, reporting “a great turnout” in the morning and continued excitement throughout the day.

“I think that the community’s very, very excited,” McLean store manager Oleg Perederiy said. “We’ve been having a lot of people here. People are really happy they’re getting the products that they want. They’re happy with the prices, and just the overall experience for them is great.”

The store’s operating hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. It will eventually be joined by Matchbox Pizza and Big Buns Damn Good Burgers, though Perederiy said it will likely be another month or two before the restaurants open.

Lidl still has stores in the works for Tysons, Lorton, and Chantilly. A spokesperson says timelines for the new locations haven’t been set yet, but the Tysons one could be ready sometime this year, Pike 7 Plaza owner Federal Realty previously told FFXnow.

While the German company’s current U.S. expansion remains focused on the East Coast, Perederiy says it could make the leap to the West Coast someday.

“At the moment, this company’s still opening stores, we’re still rapidly growing, and we’re still having massive success in the States,” Perederiy said.