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Lidl opens second Fredericksburg store

By Jeff Clabaugh

WASHINGTON — German discount grocer Lidl, with 10,000 stores throughout Europe, continues its initial U.S. expansion with its second store in Fredericksburg, Virginia, scheduled to open Feb. 15.

The newest Lidl is located at 5455 Plank Road. It opened its first store in Fredericksburg in November, at 1175 Warrenton Road.

Lidl, known for its lower priced store brands and easy to navigate stores, opened its first store in the immediate D.C. area in Manassas, at 11782 Sudley Manor Drive, in September.

Lidl has now opened more than a dozen stores in Virginia since launching its East Coast blitz last year, with plans for more, including more locations in the D.C. region, though the Washington Business Journal has reported it may be scaling back its initial plans.

Lidl established its North American headquarters in 2015 in Crystal City, which employ more than 700, as its base for U.S. expansion. It has distribution centers in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and Cecil County, Maryland, with plans for more than 100 East Coast stores eventually.

The newest Fredericksburg store is 20,000 square feet, the standard size of Lidl locations, with just six aisles, extensive wine selections and a bakery. About 90 percent of the products it stocks are Lidl-branded items.

Rival discount grocer Aldi, with 30 stores in the D.C. area, is spending $30 million to upgrade its stores in the region, part of a nationwide, $1.6 billion investment in its U.S. stores.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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