Best Market In Westhampton Beach To Become Lidl As Part Of Regional Acquisition

Best Market in Westhampton Beach is about to get a new look, again, as the German supermarket Lidl announced it will be acquiring Best Market’s 27 stores across New York and New Jersey.

Lidl is a global discount chain with around 10,500 stores in 29 countries that offers a limited selection of products, much like Aldi, another German-based grocery store with locations in the United States.

The Westhampton Beach store has been undergoing a multi-phase renovation since 2015, when the Best Market owners purchased the leasing rights to the former Waldbaum’s building for $4 million. The first two phases involved renovations to the interior and exterior of the building. Operators of the grocery store are currently working to get phase three approved by the Westhampton Beach Planning Board.

Or Raitses, vice president and general counsel for Best Market, and Kristin DeLuca, project manager at Bohler Engineering, attended the board’s last meeting on November 8 to review the site plan, which will include reducing the size of the planted islands in the parking lot and upgrading the drainage system.

Mr. Raitses and Ms. DeLuca will return to the board with modifications to the plan, according to Building and Zoning Administrator Paul Houlihan. He noted that they should have the third and final phase of the project completed by May of next year.

Lidl will begin its remodeling process next year, but specific dates have not yet been named for individual stores.

The new acquisition is substantial in expanding Lidl U.S.’s regional presence, which currently includes more than 50 stores in seven East Coast states. All current employees are guaranteed employment with Lidl with equal or better pay, according to a press release.

“Best Market has played an enormously positive role in the area, and we look forward to working closely with Best Market employees to build on that success,” said Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl U.S. in a statement.

Best Market is owned by the Raitses family and opened its first store in 1994. The one location in Newington, Connecticut, will remain operated by Best Market.