Kroger Sues Lidl Over ‘Preferred Selection’ Brand

The Kroger Co. has filed suit against Lidl for trademark infringement, alleging that the German discount grocer’s Preferred Selection brand name is too much like its own Private Selection brand, according to published reports. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Cincinnati-based Kroger, the largest grocer in the United States, with around 3,000 stores, claims that Lidl’s product line causes consumer confusion and dilutes the value of the Private Selection brand, which was created more than 20 years ago, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

“Preferred Selection is a unique specialty brand that was developed by Lidl and has been positively accepted by our customers,” the retailer responded in a statement. Lidl filed a trademark for its brand last September.

The suit comes shortly after the European retailer’s much-publicized U.S. debut in the Southeast, beginning last month. Lidl has already opened 20 stores in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, with plans to have 100 stores in operation along the East Coast of this country by the end of the year.