Discount supermarket chain Lidl opened its newest store on Oct. 7. in Chelsea at 335 8th Avenue, its fourth opening in Manhattan.
It follows the 2022 opening at 2187 Frederick Douglas Blvd. in Harlem and the opening on the Lower East Side store at 408 Grand Street on August 1, 2025. The supermarket chain began in Germany in 1973 and has since expanded to 31 countries.
“We are thrilled to bring our proven concept and our lowest prices to a new location right in Central Manhattan,” said Jassine Oulai, chief customer officer of Lidl U.S. She said, “our goal is to transform grocery shopping in New York by delivering outstanding quality, maximum freshness, and a fantastic shopping experience — all at prices that provide real relief to our customers’ wallets. Whether it’s fresh produce for dinner, exciting weekly non-food finds, or a flaky croissant in the morning, we invite all New Yorkers to experience the Lidl difference. We remain relentlessly committed to bringing low prices to NYC every single day.”
While the grocer’s union picketed the Grand Street opening with a giant rat last year, the latest venture seems to have gone off with no hitch. Shoppers caught in the ongoing affordability crunch welcomed the lower prices they found.
“We’ve worked hard to create a store that combines the freshest produce, daily baked goods, unique non-food offers, and a fast, effortless shopping experience,” said Chelsea store manager Brayan Garcia in a statement. She said, “we look forward to serving our clients every single day.”
The affordability pitch seemed to be resonating with shoppers Chelsea News spoke to soon after the store opened.
FIT students Kaira and Hailey shared that they had “seen it under construction for a very long time.” They did not initially know that Lidl is a specialty discount supermarket but they were both pleasantly surprised by what they found inside. Hailey was shocked when she saw an extremely cheap loaf of bread. She said, “two dollars for a loaf of bread? This is crazy! Everything was super cheap. It was awesome.” Kaira and Hailey took a look around the store and were easily convinced to come back next time with their cold bag so they can bring items they buy home.
Among their finds was a $3 bag of tortilla chips that they said usually cost at least $5. The students then shared that they also have their favorite Chobani flip cup yogurts for less than $2.
Lucy Potter told Chelsea News that right before departing for a trip, she wanted to check out the new Lidl on the block because she “heard it was similar to an Aldi or Trader Joes with the pricing.” Potter picked up chips and wontons after hearing about the lower prices.
A man named Alex also told Chelsea News that he had “just finished moving in from Boston. I was just totally surprised at how expensive everything has gotten. I have been looking around and surveying different stores. This is definitely by far one of the cheapest ones.”
“Things here are about three times cheaper than what I’ve seen in so many other stores,” said Alex. He continued, “for a small store, it is really packed with everything that I use. It has been pretty convenient. They have a section on Hispanic food which is very convenient.” Alex got vegetables, fruits, and dairy. Despite not finding his favorite Nutella, Alex was excited to try the broccoli, coleslaw, and vegetables.
A woman named Heidi also enjoyed that Lidl has a lot of good international items, is well-organized, cheap and clean.
Hien Ngo, who shopped in the new Lidl supermarket for the first time on Oct. 12 said she was already familiar with Lidl but was able to use the supermarket’s app which she said gave her “really good deals.” Ngo had some fall treats in her bag including orange Halloween pumpkin cookies and candy. She said contently, “I like to get myself a nice treat. I feel like when the prices are cheaper it is easier to get a variety of things.”
Christian Leon was leaving Lidl with spinach and bananas in hand. Leon shared, “it is actually nice to find a place that is affordable around the city. It is very clean and organized. I think it is a good addition. I feel like sometimes I go to Target or other stores around here and I spend probably double what I’ve been getting here in the last few days. I have noticed that dairy products like milk or yogurt here are around $3 to $4 maybe.”
Leon said, “Target is probably like $6 and a half. Once you get all those items, it does add up. Especially if you get several items every week.” Leon especially enjoyed the local convenience of a cheap store in an expensive part of the city. Leon said, “I think it would be nice to have more stores like this in different areas. I know Trader Joe’s is on the east side. I work on the west side so this is easier.”