US retailer Kroger has filed a lawsuit against discounter Lidl over the positioning of the latter's premium private label range, according to reports.
Business Insider reported that Kroger's lawsuit refers to Lidl's naming of its private label range 'Preferred Selection', claiming that it too closely resembles Kroger's own 'Private Selection' range.
Kroger said that the close resemblance of the names will 'cause confusion for customers' and enable Lidl to 'compete unfairly' with Kroger, as customers may assume the two brands are the same, Business Insider reported.
'Wrongful Conduct'
"As a direct result of Lidl’s wrongful conduct, Kroger has suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable injury," the lawsuit reads.
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 opened its first ten stores in the US in June.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
