Popular chain is closing a Cary grocery store this weekend. Here’s why.

Germany-based grocery chain Lidl is closing a Triangle grocery store next week.

The store, at 2741 Hwy 55 in Cary, in the High House Crossing Shopping Center near the intersection of Hwy 55 and High House Road, will close on July 16.

The news was first reported by WRAL.

The News & Observer reached out to Lidl US for confirmation and received the following statement.

“After a thorough review of the performance of our store network, we made the difficult decision to close our store in Cary on NC-55 on July 16. This was an underperforming location, and we made the strategic decision to close this location so we can focus on the locations that are closer and more convenient to more of our customers and where we are seeing significant growth.”

The Lidl spokesperson said that all employees at the Cary Lidl will be offered positions at another Lidl store in the area.

Lidl has another Cary store at 1105 N. Harrison Ave., as well as two stores in Raleigh and stores in Apex, Garner, Wake Forest and Sanford. Lidl has stores across North Carolina and just opened a new store in Greensboro last month.

The chain is closing several other stores this weekend, including another in North Carolina. A store in Thomasville, NC, will close, along with stores in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia, two stores in South Carolina and two stores in New Jersey, according to online reports.

The most recent data available on grocery market shares shows Lidl is No. 12 in the Raleigh/Wake market, ahead of German discount competitor Aldi, which has twice as many stores in the area, according to Chain Store Guides.

The 26,543-square-foot Cary store opened in April 2020, in the space of a former Harris Teeter store that closed in 2017 after 20 years in that spot.