Kroger's lawsuit against Lidl over the positioning of its private label range will go to trial early next year, according to reports.
US retailer Kroger took action against the discounter earlier this month, claiming that Lidl's private label range 'Preferred Selection' too closely resembled Kroger's own 'Private Selection' line.
Preliminary Injunction
Kroger sought an injunction that would prevent Lidl from selling these products in US stores, which was denied by a judge this week.
US District Judge John A. Gibney ruled that the logos look "somewhat alike" but "don't have an identical or similar meaning", according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. It is reported that the two companies will now go to trial on 11 January 2018.
Lidl filed a trademark for 'Preferred Selection' last September, while Kroger has been using its 'Private Selection' branding for more than 20 years. Kroger operates around 3,000 stores across the United States. Lidl first opened its doors in the US in June, and now operates 17 stores.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
