Best Market Closing Soon In Riverhead To Make Way For Lidl

RIVERHEAD, NY — The Riverhead Best Market, located on Old Country Road, will close in February to make way for a new Lidl.

The Riverhead store will be relocated to the former Toys R Us site on Old Country Road.

A Best Market in Shirley will also be closed as renovatons begin to transform the space into a Lidl, a release said.

Lidl will also close former Best Market stores in Great Neck and West Islip due to size and leasing requirements, a release said.

“Families across Long Island appreciate the high quality products and unbelievable prices that Lidl offers every day. We are looking forward to bringing Lidl’s award winning products and value proposition to more communities this year as we open 16 new stores,” said Lidl US Regional Vice President Ysbrand Aukes. “We value the contributions of Best Market team members and we are happy so many of them will continue to work at Lidl.”

Other nearby Best Markets recently shuttered in advance of a transitioning to Lidl locations: In December, Westhampton Beach shoppers, upset after finding themselves without a supermarket as Best Way closed its doors for up to six months to make way for a new Lidl, sounded off on social media about their concerns.

The closure left residents scrambling for solutions, as Best Market was the only supermarket located in Westhampton Beach.

With an eye toward addressing issues raised and outlining plans for the new supermarket, William Harwood, public relations and communications manager at Lidl US, spoke with Patch.

The German grocery store chain purchased all of the Best Market stores on Long Island last year and most recently, the Lake Grove's location was the ninth store to open in Suffolk and Nassau.

The Farmingdale Best Market location closed soon after the Westhampton Beach store, to make way for Lidl in early 2021.

Harwood said Lidl is nearing the completion of a two-year conversion of the Long Island Best Market supermarkets, including full remodeling. As for the Westhampton Beach site, Harwood said: "We're going to open it as soon as we can; we are doing comprehensive remodeling. We're opening as quickly as we can."

Harwood said across Long Island, Lidl is "seeing a tremendous amount of enthusiasm about the model and the products we are bringing — incredible quality at incredible prices." Lidl, he said, has fresh items delivered daily and "the best bakery, I believe, anywhere in the U.S. It's incredible."

The Lidl chain, Harwood said, is focused on making a "real investment in the areas that we are moving into."

The remodeling process includes revamping all stores with certified green practices and the highest environmental designation and environment-friendly designs; each store will receive new equipment, new fixtures and new lighting, he said.

One "great thing" about the conversions is that employees at Best Market are "guaranteed" their jobs moving forward, with wages and benefits that "stay the same or get better," Harwood said. "As a result, we have so many great Best Market employees who are enthusiastic," he said. "There's an incredible enthusiasm."

The focus on freshness extends to the dozen red roses that Lidl locations sells for $7.99, Harwood said. "We are the only grocer that guarantees our red roses are lush and beautiful, with a guarantee for seven days — they last longer than a week and if they don't, shoppers will get a full refund and replacement."

The "Lidl Love it! Guarantee" means people who try Lidl brand items and are not completely happy can return them and try something else, he said. The Lidl label, Harwood said, "means meticulous attention to detail. People can really shop with confidence."

One issue that shoppers have cried out about is the fact that they want fresh, brand-name cold cuts at their local supermarket.

"One of the things we do is listen to feedback," Harwood said.

On Long Island, he said, shoppers want a fresh-sliced deli. To that end, the first pilot store on Long Island, located in West Babylon, has a deli with fresh slicing, where employees pack the most popular cold cuts to be sold in half-pound allotments. "We're always taking feedback and learning what people want and then moving mountains to get it for them," he said.

Before teams begin at new Lidl Long Island stores, he said, managers from Best Market are trained for months, offered corporate housing and cars for up to a year. "We're really investing in people and one of the great things is that we get great feedback from our team."

The first Lidls on Long Island, he said, have paved the way. "Customers have so much to look forward to. The best quality and the best freshness at the best price. It's like a grocery tax break that's going to be coming to town, with amazing values. Everyone's excited."

Not all readers who spoke out to Patch were immediately convinced about the Westhampton Lidl.

"Best Market had been a welcome addition for Westhampton Beach and Westhampton residents. I loved the store and staff," Neil Vineberg said. "Lidl seems like the wrong brand in the wrong market. I think the brand and its products will fail to excite local residents."

Some were excited by the news: "I like Lidl," Toni D'Andrea said.