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Lidl Confirms Last Day for Westhampton Beach Store — What’s Next?
The supermarket has set its closing date after five years in Westhampton Beach, while speculation grows over which full-service grocer will take its place.
UPDATE, Oct. 6: Lidl’s Westhampton Beach supermarket at 70 Sunset Ave. will remain open to customers through Oct. 11, ending a five-year run at its only Hamptons location.
“We appreciate the contributions of our Westhampton Beach employees and are committed to supporting them throughout this transition, including offering each a position at another Lidl US location,” the company said in a statement provided to Patch.
But another question remains: What’s coming next?
As Spark Hamptons previously reported, a new full-service supermarket is set to take over the 29,118-square-foot location.
Which supermarket? That part is still under wraps.
Trader Joe’s has been among the names circulating on social media, but the company told Patch it has no location confirmed in Westhampton Beach.
Holiday Farms is also being floated as a possibility. Asked about the speculation, a Holiday Farms representative told Patch Tuesday that the company could “neither confirm nor deny” the rumor.
So, for now, Westhampton Beach is still waiting for the reveal.
A New Supermarket Is Coming
Cary Staller, president and co-owner of Staller Associates, the real estate firm representing the landlord, previously told Newsday that a new full-service supermarket had been secured for the space but could not be named because of a confidentiality agreement.
Lidl’s lease expired in March, with the grocer receiving an extension, Staller said.
Why Is Lidl Leaving Westhampton Beach?
“I think they felt the market really wasn’t right for them,” Staller told Newsday. “It was sort of this upscale vacation market and it didn’t fit in with their prototype.”
And the disconnect may not have been one-sided.
“It wasn’t really what the community wanted, I think,” Staller said.
In other words, one LIdl, was a Lidl too much.
A Different Kind of Supermarket
Lidl’s model is different from that of a traditional full-service supermarket. The limited-assortment grocer sells about 80% of its inventory under its own private-label brands.
The German retailer came to Westhampton Beach through its acquisition of Best Market. Lidl’s U.S. arm bought 27 Best Market stores in 2019, including all 24 on Long Island, and began converting them to the Lidl brand. The former Westhampton Beach Best Market reopened as Lidl in May 2021.
Westhampton Beach has since gained another major grocery name. Citarella opened in the village in May, giving the specialty food market four Hamptons locations.
What’s Next for the Lidl Space?
For now, the identity of the incoming supermarket remains undisclosed.
As soon as we confirm the new tenant, we’ll keep you posted.
