ARLINGTON, Va. — Lidl US announced that from January it will offer medical benefits for all of its 1,200 part-time employees.

“We want our team to have the peace of mind knowing they have health care coverage,” Roman Heini, chairman of Lidl US, said in a statement earlier this month. “Giving team members working part time at Lidl access to medical benefits is incredibly important, and it will help them succeed. As we continue to expand, we are committed to supporting all our employees so they can be at their best.”

Lidl US operates 70 stores across nine states in the Eastern United States. Employees working less than 30 hours a week in those stores currently have dental and vision insurance, the company said.

Lidl US said it expects to allocate up to $9 million in the first year to fund the expanded health benefits, with the cost rising as its new stores are opened. It recently announced plans to add 25 new stores, creating about 1,000 jobs, by the end of next year.

Amazon last month confirmed to the Business Insider website that it will cut medical benefits for hundreds of Whole Foods Market employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week and who have opted into medical benefits through Whole Foods’ health care plan. The move, which takes effect January 1, will affect about 2% of Whole Foods’ workforce, Amazon said.

Lidl US is part of a retail empire operated by the Schwarz Gruppe out of Neckarsulm, Germany, where there is universal health care. Lidl runs 10,800 stores in 32 countries, employing some 287,000 people.