Wednesday, August 05, 2009

New updates to come & in the news...

Grocerying will be featuring a slew of new updates, with full photo features of grocery store exterior and interiors and information. For new, here are some headlines making news concerning local grocery stores.

Quick Rundown:
Harris Teeter bidding on Ukrop's?
Food Lion converting stores to 'Sabor Latino'
Going Green at Harris Teeter and Food Lion
What's the big deal over deli meats?

Is Harris Teeter headed to the Richmond, Virginia market? It looks entirely possible... Ukrop's stores may become Harris Teeter stores. Ukrop's is around the same price point as Harris Teeter, and Richmond residents know Ukrop's as their "hometown grocery store," as most of their locations are in Richmond, 26 of them, and then 3 others -- in Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, and Roanoke. (We have a feeling though that if Harris Teeter does in fact buy Ukrop's, the Roanoke store probably will be sold to Kroger or someone else). Some have argued that because Ukrop's doesn't sell alcohol, and because they aren't open on Sunday, that this has hurt business... it was recently announced that Food Lion has become the market leader in Richmond. Other prominent grocery stores in Richmond are Kroger, Wal-Mart Super Center, and a few stores with one or two locations, or specialty stores, such as Farm Fresh Supervalu (another potential buyer for Ukrop's), Whole Foods, Fresh Market and Trader Joe's. Read more about this story in the Business Journal and voice your opinion below.

Moving on, you may see changes at some area Food Lion stores. Food Lion is targeting the Latino population for their new concept store "Sabor Latino," which means "Latin Flavor." The Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that by the time the conversion is complete, roughly 59 stores or 10% of Food Lion's 503 stores in North Carolina will be converted to the new brand. It's a very interesting change coming for Food Lion, and it looks like they want to better compete with other Hispanic-targeted grocery stores such as Compare Foods. The initial five test stores performed well enough to warrant this expansion. Read more about it here.

In other Grocerying news, Food Lion is building its first LEED certified store in Columbia, S.C. According to The Progressive Grocer, the Salisbury, N.C.-based grocery store chain will be going green and opening this environmentally responsible grocery store in the fourth quarter of 2009. The store will include:

--High-efficiency lighting that dims lights based on natural sunlight in the
store or when areas such as offices or restrooms are not in use
--LED lighting in
the frozen food cases
--Low-flow and sensor-activated water fixtures in
restrooms
--Native plant species that minimize irrigation requirements
--Enhanced air quality for associates and customers by using low-toxicity materials and implementing proactive management plans throughout construction to ensure
optimal indoor air quality
--Purchasing a significant amount of building
materials manufactured within 500 miles of each location to boost local
economies and reduce energy expended on transportation
--Waste management plans
to divert construction waste from landfills through recycling

Read more about this in The Progressive Grocer

Speaking of LEED certification, which if you're curious stands for leadership in energy and environmental design, Harris Teeter has opened its first LEED certified store outside Charlottesville, V.A. in the town of Crozet in May. At first glace, it may look like a typical Harris Teeter store, but at a closer look you will notice what makes this Harris Teeter green are features such as indoor skylights which bring in enough natural lights to reduce the energy consumption by 25% over a typical grocery store. More information plus photos of the 'green' Harris Teeter in the Crozet Gazette.

Lastly, there seems to be a big debate over deli meats...

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