A European-based grocery store is expanding into the U.S. with 100 locations – including Eden. “We’re still very early in the long process,” Lidl spokesman Will Harwood told The Eden News on Monday. “We’re preparing a number of sites [across the East Coast] and at this stage, we have are not addressing individual sites and have not set opening dates or specific timelines.” He said the grocer does expect to open its first store in the U.S. no later than 2018. As for store locations, Lidl lays out its criteria, which includes: being within its current targeted areas; an opportunity to purchase the property; at least 4 acres to accommodate a 36,000 square-foot stand-alone store with at least 180 parking spaces; an intersection with a traffic signal and high visibility for the store; dense population within 3 miles; traffic counts of more than 20,000 vehicles per day; site zoned for grocery retail use.