RICHMOND, VA – Less than a month into Lidl’s U.S. launch, Midwest-based grocery giant Kroger is suing the German retailer's Lidl US arm for trademark infringement. According to news source Business Insider, the substance of Kroger’s lawsuit surrounds Lidl’s private-label brand "Preferred Selection." The suit alleges that Lidl’s house brand too closely resembles Kroger’s own "Private Selection."
According to the news source, Kroger’s suit, filed June 30th in Virginia Eastern District Court, alleges that the close resemblance between the two names will cause confusion and suggest that the two brands are associated with each other, thus allowing Lidl to "compete unfairly."
In its lawsuit, Kroger claims that the company has used the "Private Selection" brand for more than 20 years, and that Lidl filed for a trademark on "Preferred Selection" in the U.S. as recently as last September.
"As a direct result of Lidl’s wrongful conduct," the filing alleges, "Kroger has suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable injury, including, but not limited to, injury to its trademarks and to the goodwill and business reputation associated with those trademarks."
Lidl made waves earlier this year when it announced expedited plans to enter the U.S. market with prices potentially well below competitors. Kroger, meanwhile, made headlines too, with price cuts and expansion efforts aimed at shoring up the company’s position as a premier retailer throughout the U.S.
For more on the situation as it develops, stay tuned to AndNowUKNow.
