Welcome To U.S.: Kroger Sues Lidl

(RTTNews) - German retailer Lidl, which opened its first U.S. stores just two weeks ago, has been welcomed by rival Kroger Co. with a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement.

Kroger has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia claiming that Lidl's "Preferred Selection" line of private label goods infringed Kroger's "Private Selection" brand. Kroger claims that the similar names will make customers believe that the two companies are related, allowing Lidl to "compete unfairly."

"As a direct result of Lidl's wrongful conduct, Kroger has suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable injury," the lawsuit states.

Lidl opened its first U.S. stores in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina with plans to expand to 20 locations this summer and add another 80 by the middle of next year. Lidl currently operates over 10,000 stores across Europe.