Grocerying

Breaking News: Bi-Lo merges with Winn-Dixie

2011-12-19T10:29:00.008-05:00

In an effort to save two struggling grocery chains, Mauldin, South Carolina-based Bi-Lo and Jacksonville, Florida-based Winn Dixie have announced a merger. Winn-Dixie retreated from the Carolinas in 2005, and Bi-Lo has downsized their footprint as well. Currently, the two stores will keep their names and consumers probably won't see many changes. More here

Trader Joe's set for Wilmington

2011-12-16T15:35:00.011-05:00

On the heels of the Trader Joe's hoopla in Greensboro, another North Carolina city, Wilmington, is going to see the specialty grocer. Trader Joe's plans call for a store on an empty lot at Oleander and College, one of the city's busiest intersections, and a location that is not too far from the soon-to-come Whole Foods Market. The demand for both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods has been increasing, as both are very popular and have loyal patrons. The new Trader Joe's is set to encompass 13,000 square feet.

Photographed: Trader Joe's in Chapel Hill

Trader Joe's finally coming to the Triad?

2011-12-13T11:27:00.008-05:00

When Greensboro's newspaper, The News & Record, polled readers as to which store they would most like to see come to the Triad area - one retailer had an overwhelming majority, Trader Joe's. Since 2007 the specialty grocer has been on a slow but steady expansion throughout the Carolinas, with stores currently in Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greenville (SC), and Charleston (Mount Pleasant). It has long been rumored that Trader Joe's is looking for a location in the Greensboro or Winston-Salem area, although those only amounted to what they were... rumors (including an unfounded but widely circulated rumor about the store taking space at the Target shopping center on Lawndale).
Now, the newspaper is reporting that Trader Joe's is interested in a site near Friendly Center. The Greensboro site is adjacent to The Shops at Friendly Center, which houses Harris Teeter, and right next to that is the Whole Foods Market that is set to open soon. Trader Joe's site would encompass the northwest corner of Friendly Avenue and Hobbs Road, which is currently six residential lots. Previously, The Triad Business Journal reported that Trader Joe's may have been interested in redeveloping the old City Motors site off of Westover Terrace. Despite an abundance of vacant space across town, the developers' hearts look to be set on Friendly.

Transformation continues at Greensboro's Sears and Whole Foods Market

2011-12-06T10:20:00.010-05:00

Sears at Friendly Center with new embellishments and a new logo masking the old facade on the Pembroke Avenue side.

Whole Foods' front on the Kathleen Avenue side continues to take shape.

Previously, we showed you pictures of how Greensboro's Sears department store is downsizing their foot print at their building (which they own) and leasing half of the bottom lower level to Whole Foods Market at Friendly Center. The building, which retained a lot of its brutalist 1970s elements for a long time, is still in the process of undergoing a drastic transformation. Whole Foods Market is still scheduled to open sometime in Spring 2012, along with the new Charlotte store as well.

The Sears portion of Friendly Center has been recast as 'Sears Plaza,' sporting the new logo. It should also be noted this Sears store is perhaps one of the first in the country, if not the first, to have the new logo. The entire process of this transformation is quite unique, as you don't see a 1970s department store downsize everyday to accommodate an upmarket grocer. Whole Foods is reaping the benefits of a prime location and Sears' woes.

September:

Up Close

October: Mysterious brick columns start to take shape in front of Sears, and a new second entrance has been carved out as well. We also get a glimpse inside Whole Foods' gutted interior.

November: Work continues to transform Sears in time for the shopping season:
December: The new Sears logo is displayed and awnings continue to go up around Whole Foods.

The Sears Auto Center still displays their old logo.

Rise of the Discounters

2011-12-05T17:24:00.003-05:00

Above: Both Bottom Dollar (top) and Just $ave Foods (bottom) have corny taglines throughout their stores reminding patrons of how far their dollar will go.

With names like 'Bottom Dollar,' 'Save-A-Lot,' and 'Just $ave Foods,' discount grocers with limited assortments and no-frills shopping experiences are rapidly expanding. With the popularity of ALDI, other stores have taken off on this concept here in North Carolina:

St. Louis-based Save A Lot (a division of SuperValu) opened a distribution center in Davidson County, and has also committed to opening a store in East Greensboro's food desert. Photos of the north Greensboro location:

Walmart opened some of their first "Express" stores in North Carolina, stores that are approximately the size of a CVS or Walgreens. These express stores work in communities that are too small to support a full scale Walmart. Photos of the Richfield, NC store:

Just $ave Foods is Lowes Foods' discounter, as former some Lowes Foods stores are being converted into this format. Photos from the Graham, NC store (former Winn Dixie)

And Bottom Dollar is Food Lion's discount counterpart. Recently a large expansion was announced for this concept. Photos from the Asheboro Store (formerly Food Lion)

They even sell Hannaford Drinking Water - to differentiate between Food Lion's own brand.

Columbia set for Whole Foods Market in 2012

2011-07-16T16:34:00.010-04:00

Whole Foods Market is continuing its Carolina expansion, this time planning a store in South Carolina's capital city Columbia. South Carolina already has two Whole Foods stores in Charleston (Mt. Pleasant) and Greenville.

The Columbia store is set to open in the Fall of 2012 by renovating and expanding the former Kroger at Cross Hill Shopping Center off of Fort Jackson Road near Devine Street. Its location places it in between The University of South Carolina and adjoining neighborhoods, and Fort Jackson. The Kroger opened in 1968 according to tax records.

Wilmington, Greensboro and Charlotte each have a Whole Foods Market that is currently in the works.

Image via Edens & Avant.

Harris Teeter closing store at Golden Gate Shopping Center in Greensboro

2011-07-07T23:47:00.014-04:00

Greensboro's Golden Gate Shopping Center is one unique development. It is one of the few shopping centers in the state (if not the country) to be anchored by two full-service grocery stores. One of those stores, Harris Teeter, announced today that they are closing before the end of the month. That store opened as an A&P in 1960, later becoming a Bestway and eventually a Harris Teeter store in 1988. This is their oldest store that is still in operation in town, and has been for well over 20 years.

Harris Teeter's store prior to its current remodel (Bargerconstruction.com)

Harris Teeter's closure of this location will leave virtually no Harris Teeter on the east side of Greensboro. In the past few years they have shuttered other nearby locations such as their store at Executive Square, which originally began as a Kroger, and their store on Summit Avenue at Bessemer, which is now a Compare Foods Market. The Golden Gate store's square footage, approximately 30,000 square feet, and its inability to expand (typical Harris Teeter stores run on average about 48,000 square feet these days) is cited as a reason for this store's closure.

The other grocery store in the shopping center is a Food Lion that opened as a Kroger in 1960. This store is roughly the same size as the Harris Teeter, just over 30,000 square feet, and it will become the sole grocery anchor of the center.
Golden Gate shopping center is one of the closest shopping centers to downtown, and the two stores have been able to compete because its location straddles a line between a middle class area and a very high income area.

East Greensboro 'Food Desert' may see new life at Bessemer Shopping Center

2011-07-07T19:18:00.011-04:00

At the heart of east Greensboro on Phillips Avenue lies a decrepit shopping center, only anchored by a Family Dollar surrounded by two dead anchor stores. One of these stores, a now boarded up Winn-Dixie, closed in 1998 leaving the neighborhood with no grocery store within walking distance. The city of Greensboro recently poured some life into the shopping center, called Bessemer Center, by building a brand new public library branch, and now they hope to sprout some new life on the retail scene as well.

City leaders say that low traffic counts is the reason that the center hasn't seen a new store, but locals cite the blight and crime in the area to be contributing factors. However, in recent years efforts have been made to renovate housing projects and reduce crime in the neighborhood. The Winn-Dixie label scar reminds us of what used to be, but come the end of this year that may change as a new grocery store may fill this space.

What are your thoughts on what might materialize at the center? Could it be a full-line store such as Food Lion or a discounter like Save A Lot, Bottom Dollar or Just Save foods. Leave a comment below.

10/6/2011 Update: Save A Lot will move into this shopping center.

1/12/2012 Update 2: Save A Lot has pulled out of this project... we will follow up.

Harris Teeter plans reinvention for Plaza-Midwood store

2011-04-27T12:21:00.007-04:00

Above: What the site will look like in 2013. Below: what the site looks like today, via Streetview.

Harris Teeter's store, in Charlotte's Plaza-Midwood neighborhood, is in store for some major changes. The current store is 29,000 square feet, and will expand to a 48,400 square foot store, similar to the new Harris Teeter planned for Myers Park/Eastover. Also similar to the new Myers Park/Eastover store, the Plaza-Midwood store will front the streetside of Central Avenue and The Plaza. The Plaza-Midwood Harris Teeter will be more modern and blend with the neighborhood in its design, taking cues from Washington D.C.'s Adams Morgan store. Additionally, the store will feature a green roof.

Store History:
Although this store is often regarded as the "first" Harris Teeter store, it is a relocation of the first Harris Supermarket, which opened in 1938 in a former A&P in the 1500 block of Central Avenue. In 1950, the store relocated to its current location a few blocks down to 1704 Central Avenue. It was not until 1960 when the Harris and Teeter supermarkets combined to make Harris Teeter.

See more photos of the site plan & rendering via Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Partners.

Sears conversion to Whole Foods begins in Greensboro

2011-04-26T14:31:00.008-04:00

Greensboro's Whole Foods Market, which is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2012, has already began to take shape. The store will occupy 34,000 square feet in the Sears building at Friendly Center while Sears is downsizing its footprint from approximately 164,000 square feet to 130,000 square feet. These photos display the Friendly Avenue entrance to Sears, which will become transformed into Whole Foods' main entrance.

The two images below show Sears' Pembroke Road entrance, which will serve as their main entrance. In the picture immediately below, upon entering the doors the wall on the left will be the partition between Sears and Whole Foods Market.

Publix eyes 2012 opening for Charlotte-area stores

2011-04-25T15:42:00.011-04:00

Previously on Grocerying, we talked about Publix entering the Charlotte market through a site just south of the N.C.-S.C. state line in Tega Cay, in York County, South Carolina. Now it looks like the Lakeland, Florida-based grocer is securing a second site in the neighboring Lancaster County, South Carolina community of Indian Land, just south of the Charlotte city limit. The Charlotte Business Journal is reporting that the second Publix in the Charlotte region will be in a development called Cross Creek Center off Hwy 521 at Doby's Bridge Road. The grocer anticipates its Charlotte area stores will open in October of 2012.

The intriguing portion of Publix' entry into the Charlotte market is that their stores will remain below the state line for the foreseeable future. We have to wonder if this has to do with saturation of similar mid-to-upscale market retailers such as Harris Teeter and Lowe's Foods already in the immediate Charlotte region. In addition to South Carolina, Publix has stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. More to come as this develops.

Whole Foods continues NC expansion into Wilmington

2011-04-13T10:48:00.005-04:00

Whole Foods Market will open a store in Wilmington, N.C. in 2012. Both The Greater Wilmington Business Journal and WECT-TV report that the former Lowes Foods on Oleander Drive near Independence Mall has been selected as the site for the future Whole Foods. Sources say the store should open by late 2012 or early 2013. This opening would mark Whole Foods' 10th store in North Carolina. According to tax records, the size of the current building is 47,332 square feet. The Lowes Foods Store originally was a Hannaford's which opened in 1998. Prior to that it was the site of a Wilson's Grocery Store.

Ariel Image Courtesy Bing Maps.

Bloom withers in the Carolinas

2011-03-14T23:47:00.009-04:00

Food Lion's upscale counterpart Bloom will no longer be a fixture of the grocerying scene in the Charlotte region and in the Upstate of South Carolina. Delhaize America, parent company of Bloom and Food Lion, has announced that the Bloom stores in these two regions will convert to Food Lion stores over the course of the spring. There are currently 16 Bloom stores in the Carolinas: nine in the Charlotte region and eight in the Upstate. 15 of these stores will be converted to Food Lion, and one store in Mauldin, S.C. will close. Bloom currently has 65 stores in total, most of which are in the Washington, D.C. metro area and Hampton Roads area.

It doesn't come as a surprise that Delhaize has decided to convert its Bloom stores in the Carolinas to Food Lion, as Food Lion is a more established brand in this region. Additionally, last year we reported that Bloom's proposed expansion to the Triangle wouldn't happen after all and those stores opened as Food Lion. It will be interesting to watch the impact that the branding change has on the local grocery market. Bloom opened its first store in Charlotte in 2004. In addition to Food Lion and Bloom, grocery stores operated by Delhaize Group in the United States include Hannaford, Harvey's, Bottom Dollar, Reid's and Sweetbay.

Image courtesy Core/Centdev

Downtown grocer on track for Greensboro

2011-03-11T18:04:00.010-05:00

Downtown Greensboro is closer to getting a small grocery store. Deep Roots Market, the community-owned cooperative currently located on Spring Garden Street near Wendover Avenue, says it has raised 75 percent of the $1.25 million needed to build a new downtown store that will encompass over 10,000 square feet. Deep Roots Market is known for being one of the only co-ops to feature all-organic produce and source much of their food from local farmers. The store is set to be on the north end of Downtown on North Eugene St. near Fisher Park.

Rendering courtesy Deep Roots Market.

Preview Raleigh's New Whole Foods Market

2011-03-11T14:25:00.008-05:00

As Charlotte and Greensboro wait for their Whole Foods Markets to open next year, Raleigh's brand new Whole Foods is set to open next week. This store is unique in the sense that it is the first store in North Carolina to open as a Whole Foods Market. The other stores in the the state opened as Wellspring Grocery, which Whole Foods later bought out (aside from the Asheville store which opened as a Greenlife Grocery). Additionally, the North Raleigh Whole Foods is being touted as the 'greenest' Whole Foods store in the southeast. The new store is 40,000 square feet, about 12,000 square feet larger than the central Raleigh Whole Foods on Wade Avenue. Read more and see more photos, including interior shots, on Sue Stock's blog from Raleigh's News & Observer at Taking Stock.

Photo courtesy Sue Stock at the Raleigh News & Observer

Myers Park/Eastover Harris Teeter Expanding to Two Levels

2011-02-17T15:19:00.012-05:00

New Store
Harris Teeter announced it will expand its store at the infamous Charlotte intersection of Providence and Queens Roads to two levels encompassing 42,000 square feet total. The store, at 1015 Providence Road, is located at the intersection of the two wealthiest neighborhoods in Charlotte: Myers Park and Eastover, one of many factors that make this store prime for expansion. Its current size at 20,000 square feet sets it as an express store, and a tight parking lot, simply isn't large enough to serve the community. Ever since neighboring Myers Park Hardware shut its doors, speculation began to build as to when Harris Teeter would expand its store. Initially thought to be a upfit of the current street-side location, we've learned that the store will be demolished for a brand new store on the back side of the lot.

Two-story Trend
In recent years, Harris Teeter has been experimenting with two level stores. Raleigh recently got a two level Harris Teeter in the North Hills expansion, which replaced the store at Lassiter Mill. Additionally, the Washington, D.C. metro area has many stores that have a second level as well, and these stores tend to include items such as a pharmacy. Charlotte's Uptown Harris Teeter includes a small second level for wine selections.

Historic Store
As we mentioned, the current store is around 20,000 square feet and it originally opened as an A&P supermarket in 1938 according to tax records. Harris Teeter took over the store when A&P left the market in 1997 and later expanded to the Ethan's Townhouse Restaurant next door. Due to its size, the chain labeled it as the first (and only) "Harris Teeter Express." It should be noted that this store is the oldest continuously operating grocery store location in Charlotte.

Rendering courtesy of Harris Teeter, Map provided by Bing Maps
Photos taken in 2004. Blog post updated on 2/18/2011.

Whole Foods coming to Charlotte and Greensboro

2010-11-04T12:05:00.010-04:00

Whole Foods Market sent an unexpected shocker through the grocery world, especially for North Carolina's retail scene. The leading chain of natural and organic grocery stores announced plans for a 42,000 square foot store in Charlotte and a 34,000 square foot store in Greensboro. Both stores are scheduled to open in 2012.

Charlotte
Last year, Grocerying published an article called "Will Charlotte ever get a Whole Foods Market?" Needless to say, this is the most popular post on the blog, garnering opinionated comments and conjecture as to why Whole Foods still did not have a Charlotte location. Now Whole Foods Market is set to build a store in the SouthPark area near Philips Place Shopping Center. The new development will be called Ashley Park, on the site of the Allen Tate property and part of the former Live Oak public housing. The store, once opened, is poised to be a major draw for the region. People have commented that they've driven to stores in Greenville, South Carolina and Winston-Salem to get their Whole Foods fix. The store will be 42,000 square feet, somewhat smaller than the original Whole Foods proposed for Charlotte, which was 55,000 square feet. The store will include an underground parking garage.

Greensboro
The Greensboro store will occupy part of the current Sears store at Friendly Center. Sears at Friendly Center has been open since 1973, with no exterior remodel since its opening. It currently is the largest store in the shopping center, occupying 163,941 square feet, according to tax records. Interestingly, Sears will be reconfigured so that Whole Foods' exterior faces Pembroke Avenue. The store will be smaller than the Charlotte store, at 34,000 square feet, but larger than the other Whole Foods Market in the Triad, which is in Winston-Salem. It will be interesting to see if Sears and Whole Foods develop a synergy and see cross-shoppers. The idea of Whole Foods taking space in Sears, and having Sears reconfigure, seems like a green and efficient idea rather than building a brand new store.

Location Location Location
Although the announcement of both stores may come as a surprise, their respective locations are not as surprising. SouthPark in Charlotte and Friendly Center in Greensboro are the prime upscale shopping destinations in these cities, so it makes sense that Whole Foods would go great lengths to put stores in these retail districts. In addition, all the other current Whole Foods Markets in North Carolina are open as a result of buyout of Wellspring Markets (or Greenlife Grocery in Asheville). So these locations were predetermined by their previous owner, not Whole Foods Markets. The only other new planned Whole Foods store in the state is coming to North Raleigh next year. Charlotte's store is located down the street from competition Earth Fare and the flagship Harris Teeter store. Other specialty markets in the area include The Fresh Market, Dean & Deluca and Reid's Fine Foods. In Greensboro, Friendly Center is home to Harris Teeter's largest store in the region, just a stones throw from where Sears is and Whole Foods will be.

Impact
The impact of Whole Foods Market will be interesting. In Greensboro, Whole Foods has been only a 30-minute drive away, not terribly far. In Charlotte, many fans of the store have been on a roller coaster of wondering if the store will come or not. With announcements of a 2004 store in Elizabeth and 2006 store in another part of SouthPark falling through, people were left hanging and without any answers. The speculation continued and spurred grassroots efforts through the internet to lure the store to the Queen City. Looks like it worked... and for those of you speculating that Whole Foods Market would not locate in the "home turf" of another supermarket (Harris Teeter/Charlotte; Fresh Market/Greensboro), these announcements may just debunk that theory.

Kroger exiting Greenville, NC

2010-10-21T19:51:00.006-04:00

Kroger was once a ubiquitous part of North Carolina's grocery scene, with presence in virtually all of the major markets. These days, Kroger's presence is primarily in the immediate Triangle area, with one exception - a store in Greenville, NC. However, that's about to change. The last Kroger holdout in the eastern part of the state is set to close and be replaced by a Harris Teeter-a chain that is growing its presence in Eastern North Carolina.

According to the Greenville Daily Reflector and WITN, Harris Teeter is buying the Kroger Location at University Commons Shopping Center. According to the center's owner, Centro Properties, Kroger encompasses 67,722 square feet (which would make it one of the largest grocery stores in the state). However, after the renovation, the Harris Teeter store will only be 53,000 square feet.

Does this move symbolize the direction that Kroger may be heading in? Charlotte, the Piedmont Triad and The Sandhills no longer have Kroger, could their time be limited in the Triangle as well? Or will Kroger their focus on The Triangle as the mid-market grocery store for that region? Judging by many of the comments on The Daily Reflector's page, Greenville residents are sad to see Kroger go as one user posted "we no longer have a grocery store for the average Joe."

Publix eyeing Charlotte (again)

2010-09-23T20:19:00.006-04:00

Previously we speculated that either Publix or Kroger would enter the Charlotte market through a buyout of Bi-Lo store locations. Now, The Charlotte Business Journal reports that Publix is poised to enter the market through a location just south of Charlotte and the NC/SC state line in Tega Cay. If Publix does pursue this location, it would be the first time a major non-specialty chain grocer entered the market since Lowes Foods did in 2005. It should be noted that this is not the first time Publix has tried to enter the Charlotte market, they previously scouted sites in 1993 and 1994.
The closest Publix stores are currently in the Columbia and Greenville-Spartanburg areas of South Carolina. The effort from Publix to expand in Charlotte may be seen as gutsy, as Harris Teeter continues its reign on its home market, and Food Lion continues to expand its namesake store and Bloom concept store. Read the full article from The Charlotte Business Journal.

Could Kroger and/or Publix be headed to Charlotte?

2010-08-24T10:41:00.008-04:00

Reuters is reporting that Mauldin, S.C.-based Bi-Lo is up for sale again. If you recall, last year Food Lion was announced as a potential bidder for Bi-Lo until Lone Star Funds, Bi-Lo's parent company, announced that Bi-Lo was no longer for sale. The chain has been teetering on highs and lows, while expanding their stores in some markets such as Columbia they have completely pulled out of other markets like the Triad after selling their stores to the failed Southern Family Markets. Reuters reports that Bi-Lo emerged from bankruptcy in March of this year.

Kroger and Publix are reportedly the top contenders for Bi-Lo. If this is the case, it brings the potential for Publix to enter the Charlotte market and for Kroger to reenter the market. However, we're not sure if this exactly will happen as it might be more likely and logical for grocery stores that are currently in the market to take over stores, most notably stores that already have: Food Lion/Bloom, Super G Mart, Compare Foods. Bi-Lo has closed a number of stores in the Charlotte region in recent times, two on Independence Boulevard, one in Dilworth and one on Little Rock Road to name a few. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what continues to unfold in the Bi-Lo saga.

Reuters Article

Grocerying at Kroger Marketplace in Knoxville

2010-06-13T14:02:00.002-04:00

Perhaps you've never seen a Kroger store like this before. This store is a Kroger Marketplace, their hyper mart format, located in Knoxville, Tennessee's Farragut neighborhood. The store includes everything from an expanded organic selection to international selection to furniture. It seems to be a concept that Kroger is testing out in select markets before rolling out new stores or potentially converting older stores. Clearly the store was built in response to stores like Wal-mart Supercenter, SuperTarget and Super Bi-Lo.

No Bloom for the Triangle; Charlotte store moves forward

2010-03-15T21:50:00.007-04:00

Last year we reported that Food Lion's upscale and high-tech spin off, Bloom, would be expanding to North Carolina's Research Triangle area with stores planned in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville and Clayton. These stores will now open under the Food Lion banner, as Delhaize Group, parent company of Food Lion and Bloom, say they would like to focus on markets that they are currently in like Washington, D.C., Greenville-Spartanburg and Charlotte, before expanding into new markets.

In other Bloom news, their Charlotte store which replaces the former Bi-Lo in Dilworth Crossing is set to open this Wednesday, March 17. What's In Store blog has photos from inside the store.

Grocerying News Updates

2010-02-27T01:28:00.001-05:00

Danville's Harris Teeter Closing in March

Last summer, Grocerying had the chance to visit Danville, Virginia and a Harris Teeter that we dubbed "the store that time forgot." As the news of its closing comes as little surprise, it is a blow to the already economically depressed Danville. Danville's grocerying scene now consists of Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, Aldi, Wal-Mart Supercenter and a few small independents. In recent years Danville has also lost a Kroger, although Kroger still has a presence in nearby Martinsville. The closest Harris Teeter stores will now be in Greensboro, where some employees are transferring to and some customers say they will make the drive. It is worth noting that when we wrote the piece last year we predicted that the Danville store would not last much longer. Read more from the Danville Register & Bee

Wal-Mart now leads the Charlotte market

Wal-Mart has dethroned Harris Teeter as grocery market leader, according to an article published in today's Charlotte Observer. This comes as no surprise either as the Charlotte area's grocerying scene has changed immensely. We've seen stores leave (Winn-Dixie), new stores arrive (Lowes Foods) and a rise in specialty chains (Trader Joe's, Aldi, Compare Foods, Earth Fare) and of course supercenters (Wal-Mart, Target). Aside from Wal-Mart, in terms of number of stores Harris Teeter still dominates the northern and southern end of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, while Food Lion dominates the eastern and western portions. Get the full story from The Charlotte Observer and check out their graphic.

Bi-Lo's Woes & New Strategies

On the heels of Bi-Lo's Chapter 11 Bankruptcy reorganization and almost buyout by Food Lion, the South Carolina based grocery chain is trying a new strategy. The company has struggled to make a niche for itself as a mid-market grocer, so now they are banking on customer loyalty. Bi-Lo has partnered with area BP gas stations to promote usage of Bi-Lo's BonusCard for a program called Fuelperks. Read more about Fuelperks from The Charlotte Business Journal.

In other Bi-Lo news, two Charlotte area stores are slated for closing. Bi-Lo's store on Little Rock Road, which was a former Winn-Dixie, will close in March as will their store in Indian Trail off Independence Boulevard. WCCB-TV Fox Charlotte did a story on how anchor tenant Bi-Lo's closing causes a ripple effect throughout the shopping center hurting the smaller businesses.

Harris Teeter turns 50

2010-02-01T17:07:00.010-05:00

Harris Teeter turns 50 years old today. The Matthews-based chain is owned by Ruddick Corporation, and has grown to become the market leader in many parts of North Carolina including the Piedmont-Triad, the Triangle area and its home market of Charlotte.

Harris Teeter's began as two separate stores, eventually combining to create the first store on Central Avenue in Charlotte. This store is still in operation, but has since relocated and expanded and now is located at the corner of Central Avenue and The Plaza.

In the Carolinas, Harris Teeter's growth has been more pronounced in recent decades. In the 1980s their takeover of Food World, Colonial and Big Star markets enabled a fast expansion across the two state area. The 1990s brought an expansion to the chain, bringing Harris Teeter to markets such as Atlanta, Nashville, and Northern Virginia. The Washington, D.C. area on the other hand is experiencing the greatest growth of Harris Teeter stores with a long-awaited store that opened in 2008 in the district.

Today, there are no longer stores in Atlanta, in fact only one store is maintained in Georgia at St. Simon's Island. Other notable markets that once had Harris Teeter stores and now no longer do include Greenville-Spartanburg, Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Roanoke. Moreover, they only have one store in Florida outside Jacksonville, and their presence in western North Carolina is limited to one store in Hendersonville and one in Asheville.

In addition, Harris Teeter has closed many of its stores in smaller cities and towns in the Carolinas, and in areas that have shifted demographically to become lower income neighborhoods. These stores have relocated by moving to the suburbs or revitalized downtown districts, targeting a more upscale clientele. Ultimately the chain has remained successful, proved by the last 50 years, and continues to constantly earn top marks for its cleanliness, customer service and selection by magazines such as Consumer Reports. These days the grocer has made a name for itself by promoting "unreal deals," doubling and tripling coupons up to 99 cents, and then sometimes "super doubling" coupons up to $1.98.

Harris Teeter's newest store will open next week in Raleigh's North Hills, a relocation of the current store at Lassiter Mill as we've previously mentioned. It will be the first two-level store in the region.

The store photographed above is the Harris Teeter store on West W.T. Harris Boulevard - as mentioned in the Charlotte Observer article. This store is located where Harris Boulevard intersects with Mallard Creek Church Road , and features a strikingly unique exterior. The store was built in 1994 and encompasses approximately 45,000 square feet. The photo was taken in 2004.

Greensboro's Super G Mart headed to Charlotte

2010-01-30T13:46:00.005-05:00

International foods retailer Super G Mart, which has a popular store in western Greensboro's international shopping center Fanta City, is opening a store in southeast Charlotte in the former Bi-Lo store at Independence Square. This comes as the success of similar food retailers have opened on this side of town, such as Compare Foods which took over the former Harris Teeter a couple miles north on Independence Boulevard. As the east side of Charlotte's population changes, grocery stores realize they must cater to the market that they serve.

Check out photos and more information of Greensboro's Super G Mart via the Greensboro News & Record.

The last remaining Super Kmart Center in North Carolina

2009-12-15T05:22:00.003-05:00

This Super Kmart Center in Concord, NC, about 15 minutes northeast of UNC-Charlotte on US 29 is possibly the last remaining Super Kmart Center in North Carolina. We're not sure if the Kmart in Garner (just south of Raleigh) is still a supercenter or if it has downgraded to just a regular Kmart store - if anyone knows please leave a comment here! Kmart has downgraded former Super Kmart Centers in Greensboro and Burlington to just regular stores in the past couple years, so it is surprising that they still have a few full-scale grocery stores. Furthermore, Sears is opening outlet departments in the former grocery section of the Greensboro and Burlington stores. Additionally, it looks as if Kmart is 'upgrading' a lot of their stores with orange trim on the exterior.

*Update: The Garner store is no longer a Super Kmart Center, leaving the Concord store as the only supercenter left in NC. Thanks to an anonymous comment. Additionally, Super Kmart does have a website of its locations: http://www.superkmart.com/component/kmstoresinusa/

*Update 2: This store is no longer a supercenter, as of our visit in March 2010.

Breaking News Update on Bi-Lo and Food Lion

2009-11-24T10:02:00.000-05:00

Seems that Bi-Lo has rejected Food Lion's takeover offer. Read more from the Charlotte Observer.

BREAKING NEWS: Food Lion's parent company in talks to acquire Bi-Lo assets

2009-10-05T12:22:00.001-04:00

(Associated Press 10/5/2009)

Belgian international food retailer Delhaize Group is in talks to buy shops and inventory worth $425 million from South Carolina-based BI-LO, a grocery chain that entered bankruptcy proceedings earlier this year.

In a statement Monday, Delhaize Group said it was in non-binding talks to acquire “a substantial majority” of BI-LO LLC's assets. It said the assets to be acquired had revenue of over $2 billion last year.

Delhaize said it intends to integrate BI-LO's shops into its Food Lion chain of shops. Food Lion has more than 1,300 stores in 11 states with 74,000 employees.

Mauldin, S.C.-based BI-LO LLC is a privately held company that operates 214 supermarkets in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee and employs around 15,500 people. It filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in March.

Delhaize said the offer was subject to bankruptcy court approvals and that it hoped to complete a transaction after obtaining a non-appealable sale order from the court.

A representative for BI-LO could not be immediately reached for comment.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.

(Stores photographed are in Statesville, NC)

Innovative way to compare prices at the grocery store

2009-09-29T12:14:00.000-04:00

Grocerying has found a terrific new tool to use while trying to save money at the grocery store! WRAL-TV, Channel 5 in Raleigh, has compiled data and put it on their website. The items compared consist of everyday items that many people would purchase on an average trip to the grocery store. The list is comprised of apples, bacon, bananas, bread, butter, cheddar cheese, chicken breast, cola, eggs, ground beef, lettuce, milk, steak and sugar. WRAL-TV takes these items and compares them not only at five Raleigh grocery stores (Wal-Mart SuperCenter, Lowes Foods, Kroger, Harris Teeter and Food Lion); but they additionally compare it to the prices provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not surprisingly, Wal-Mart has the lowest overall price on these items ringing in at $27.74, well below the next cheapest (which may surprise some of you) which is Harris Teeter coming in at $32.32. Right behind Harris Teeter is Kroger, at only pennies more with a total of $32.38. Then we have Food Lion at $34.54 followed by Lowes Foods’ comparable $34.76 and finally the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with a grand total of $35.77. Their methodology provides that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is based on the south region. In addition, you can click “Show Trends” and see a line graph of all the stores prices over the past year - which shows a trend of falling prices between September 2008 and September 2009. A very neat tool to use indeed.

Link to Grocery Cart Tracker: http://www.wral.com/news/local/flash/2603702/

The Harris Teeter that time forgot: Danville, Virginia

2009-09-13T12:26:00.003-04:00

Yes, believe it or not, these photos were taken in 2009. Talk about a throwback! The Harris Teeter store in the former mill town of Danville, Virginia (about 40 minutes north of Greensboro, NC) looks like it has not been updated since the early 1990s at best. This store is an anomaly in itself, being the only Harris Teeter store in southside Virginia. The front of the store still sports the old Harris Teeter logo, something rarely found these days. The question is: does Harris Teeter really want to keep this store open? If Harris Teeter really wanted to stay in Danville in the long term, it would seem that they would have updated the store by now. It is in a demographically depressed area of Virginia, that has the highest unemployment numbers in the state. Perhaps it's only fitting that the Harris Teeter that time forgot be in the town that time forgot.

Update: As of March 2010, this store has closed.

New updates to come & in the news...

2009-08-05T11:22:00.000-04:00

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...

Bi-Lo closing in Charlotte's Dilworth neighborhood, to be replaced by Bloom store

2009-04-16T14:15:00.002-04:00

The Bi-Lo store at Dilworth Crossing in Charlotte, at the corner of Park Road and Ideal Way, is set to close this week after serving the Dilworth Community since 1988. But the history of the store dates back to a few years prior, when residents were engaged in a debate as to whether a grocery store should be built in their neighborhood or not. The Kroger Company wanted to build a store in this historic streetcar suburb, thus spurring the phrase "No Krogering In Dilworth." A photograph of the sign can be seen here. Prior to Bi-Lo's renovation of the store, the Dilworth store was one of Kroger's classic"greenhouse" style stores. You can still find the remnants of Kroger Greenhouse style stores around Charlotte these days converted into something else.

Currently, the Bi-Lo store encompasses around 45,000 square feet, and the interior seems like it was remodeled in the mid-to-late 90s but Grocerying does not officially know when the updates took place. The store also has been patroned by residents not only in Dilworth, but residents of the Wilmore community and other lower income areas, respectively, near I-77 for whom the store has provided as an alternative to neighborhood stores and the lack of having a full size grocery store in their immediate area. Bi-Lo has noted that the closing of their Dilworth store is not related to their recent filing for bankruptcy protection. According to the Charlotte Observer, the reason for Bi-Lo's departure from Dilworth is due to terms in their lease agreement, as the owner of the center wants to bring in a store that would better suit the neighborhood, which over the last 20 years has gone through a redevelopment of sorts of its own.

Many feel that Bi-Lo has struggled to find a niche, especially in the Charlotte market, as their stores in the lower-to-middle end are closing and as the concept of Super Bi-Lo is being tested in the market. Because the Bi-Lo store in Dilworth is in a prime location in what some may call a trendy neighborhood, the store will not sit vacant for long. Bloom, the "high tech" and more upscale market run by Food Lion, will construct a 55,000 square foot location in its space. Grabbing the location is a real boon for Bloom. Currently, their stores are on the fringes of the Charlotte area, and this will be their first real in-town location in south Charlotte, a region of town that is dominated by Harris Teeter. The Bloom store is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

More photos of the interior and exterior of the store:

The sign reads: "Our Park Road Bi-Lo will be closing on 4-25 Saturday at 7 p.m. We have enjoyed serving the community since 1988 and hnope you visit us at our other Charlotte locations. Thank you"

UPDATE: This store has been converted to a Food Lion.

Food, Inc.

2009-04-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Rethinking the way we purchase some of our food and how it gets to our grocery stores. Find out more information here.

Changes Coming to North Raleigh's Grocerying Scene

2009-03-28T14:52:00.001-04:00

To begin, above is the rendering for Northern Wake County's new Whole Foods store. This store will be located at the southeast corner of Strickland and Six Forks roads at Collonade Center Drive. The rendering is from the grassroots committee website BringWholeFoods.org and the developer, Regency Centers. According to the website, their aim is to bring a Whole Foods store to North Raleigh that would serve the affluent and expanding population of this area. Perhaps the most alarming news out of this situation, still, is that Whole Foods is planning on bringing a fifth store to the Triangle region, while Charlotte has zero. We will keep all readers updated on the progress of this store, and read more about it at Bring Whole Foods.

Moving on, the Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that the Trader Joe's slated for North Raleigh has been delayed but is still set to open in 2009, just not the spring. This Trader Joe's location was announced in November 2007, and is slated to open a store in the Holly Park Shopping Center, located at Wake Forest Road and I-440. Holly Park is owned by Charlotte developer Lat Purser and Associates, and they also own 2 other shopping centers with Trader Joe's in North Carolina-- The Shops at Piper Glen and The Arbors on Mallard Creek. The new Trader Joe's in Raleigh will encompass 13,000 square feet (typical size for a Trader Joe's) and it will be the first store in Raleigh city limits. There are two other Trader Joe's in the Triangle already, one in Cary and one in Chapel Hill. Holly Park is one of the oldest shopping centers in Raleigh, and its redevelopment and recasting is a welcome sight to area residents, many of whom are elated that a Trader Joe's will anchor.

Finally, many residents of the North Hills area of Raleigh are excited as a two-story grocery store will open at the North Hills East redevelopment called St. Albans. It will be a relocation of the current Harris Teeter at Lassiter Mill, and the new store will encompass 48,200 square feet. The Triangle Business Jounral reported this story last year, and the store is set to open in late 2009. The developer, Kane Realty Corporation, has provided a site plan here.

In a tough economy, growth and expansion is a welcomed sight and it would be a delight to see all of these projects pull through and reach their full potential, but it is not a big surprise to see this development in the fastest growing metro area in the country. Know of any other changes to North Raleigh's grocerying scene? Leave us comments and lets us know!

Grocerying in Southwest Virginia

2009-03-25T18:09:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of stores in mostly rural Southwest Virginia. These photos are courtesy jerseyman4, and they include Kroger - the dominant grocery store in this region - and Food City, a regional chain based in Abingdon, Virginia. Food City also has stores in parts of Tennessee and Kentucky. This Food City is unrelated to other Food City chains, such as the ones found in Arizona and the ones in the New York City area. Additionally seen are the discount department stores Roses and Magic Mart. Photos are from Galax, VA.

Bi-Lo files for bankruptcy protection

2009-03-23T21:47:00.000-04:00

In recent years, Bi-Lo has seen a lot of ups and downs. The grocer is in a unique position, trying to find a niche with itself between discount grocer and semi-upscale hyper-market. With a tough economy, the chain which is based near Greenville, South Carolina has filed for bankruptcy protection. Since 2005, Bi-Lo stores have dwindled more than they have prospered, as they were sold off from Ahold to Lone Star Funds along with their sister supermarket Bruno's. Many stores were shuttered or turned to C&S Wholesale's Southern Family Markets, which failed miserably. Some may say this was inevitable, but doesn't come as a major surprise. Despite the bankruptcy protection filing, Bi-Lo says they will continue to operate stores as normal. Read more about this from the Greenville News here. The pictured store is in Rutherfordton, NC.

Grocerying at a different kind of Wal-Mart in High Point, NC

2009-02-21T15:46:00.001-05:00

The newly renovated Wal-Mart store on North Main Street at Hartley Drive in High Point: It's not quite a supercenter, nor is it quite a regular Wal-Mart, but a colorful hybrid of sorts. I have never seen a Wal-Mart store like this, and the new design is definitely intriguing. This Wal-Mart store was remodeled last year and re-opened recently. While High Point got a new supercenter on South Main Street in the location of a former Winn-Dixie Shopping Center, Wal-Mart closed its original High Point Store on North Main Street and remodeled it: It originally looked like this. Now, its exterior looks just like the new supercenter on the south end of High Point, except not as large. But the interior is anything but typical. Here are some camera-phone photos of the interior of store. Hope to get more photos of both stores!

Compare Foods - Independence Shopping Center

2009-02-04T23:57:00.001-05:00

Compare Foods came onto the North Carolina grocerying scene a few years ago, and its popularity is undeniable. The store caters to a more ethnic crowd, particularly Latinos, but their stores are popular amongst all backgrounds. The store generally does not build new buildings, but is very green and economical in its efforts to re-use former grocery stores, such as the former Winn Dixie in Rock Hill. Patrons have stated to Grocerying that the value, freshness and variety of food makes it a unique fixture on the scene. The interesting thing about their stores is that they also reuse fixtures that were generally left in place from the previous store, and not only that, but are one of the few grocers to showcase their stores via photos on their websites. So if you remember what a mid-90s Harris Teeter looked like, these photos are almost like having a flashback to the signs. The Harris Teeter at Independence Shopping Center (Independence Boulevard-Hwy 74 at Idlewild Road in East Charlotte) was one of the oldest operating stores in the chain, built in 1970 and enjoyed a 35 year run closing in 2005. The store size today is approximately 40,000 square feet. Compare Foods has other Carolinas locations in the aforementioned Rock Hill, and additionally in the Triad and Triangle. See more photos inside the store via Compare Foods' website here.

(Harris Teeter photo via Charlotte Mecklenburg Real Estate Lookup; Compare Foods photo via CompareSupermarkets.com)

Future Lowes Foods - Wesley Chapel, NC

2009-02-04T15:10:00.001-05:00

This Lowes Foods is under construction in Union County, North Carolina in Wesley Chapel, roughly between the historic town of Waxhaw, the county seat of Monroe and the suburban Weddington. It will be Lowes Foods' second store in Union County, the first being in Stallings just across the Mecklenburg County line at I-485 and Idlewild Road. The store is a significant symbol of Northern and Western Union County's rapid growth, due to its proximity to Charlotte, lower taxes and school system. The area has seen other big developments pop up, particularly at the intersection where this Lowes Foods is going -- there is a Harris Teeter across the street, and a new Target shopping center diagonally across from the Lowes Foods. Additionally, Waxhaw has seen major development come their way with a new medical center and shopping center including a Lowe's Home Improvement store. Grocerying will get an update of this store when it is complete, as the exterior design of the store is an interesting one.

Bloom grocery stores expanding to The Triangle area

2009-01-27T18:24:00.000-05:00

Grocerying has learned that Bloom, the upscale and high-tech grocery store operated by Food Lion, is expanding into the Raleigh area of North Carolina. Stay tuned for more on this, hopefully to be accompanied by photos!

Before & After: Harris Teeter/Earth Fare, Rock Hill

2009-01-09T13:18:00.001-05:00

Grocerying has a post from 2006 citing the Harris Teeter near downtown Rock Hill, South Carolina closing. Well now we finally have a photo of the new and thriving Earth Fare that replaced it.

Charlotte to get a Grocery Co-Op?

2009-01-07T15:25:00.001-05:00

In the previous post, we discussed the large national natural foods retailer Whole Foods and their inability to come to a solid decision on building a Charlotte location. Something else that does not have a true presence in Charlotte is a grocery cooperative, or co-op, which some may dub the "Anti-Whole Foods." As much as we hate to compare Charlotte to other cities in the Carolinas, which we realize was done at length in the previous post, it's only natural to do so. We've had local and organic markets that have prospered despite increased competition, such as Home Economist and Berrybrook Farm, and those that have not, like Charlotte's original Talley's and the short-lived Nude Food. But what is the difference between one of those stores and a co-op? CoOpDirectory.org has a good explanation as to what a grocery co-op exactly is. Additionally, we liked the explanation that was provided by The Flatbush Food Co-Op in Brooklyn: "A coop is simply a business entity owned and managed by its members. A group of people get together, pool some money (called equity), and purchase whatever goods they want at a lower price than going elsewhere, since there are no profits to be skimmed off." Many co-op's have gone all-organic, as well, and try to buy as much local and sustainable food as possible.

Co-ops in the North Carolina include Asheville's French Broad Food Co-op and Haywood Road Market, Carrboro/Chapel Hill's popular Weaver Street Market, which includes satellite loactions in Southern Village and Hillsborough in Orange County as well, Durham's Co-Op, Greensboro's Deep Roots and Wilmington's Tidal Creek Market. Co-ops are located in some of NC's smaller municaplities as well, like Boone's Rich Harvest, Hendersonville's Co-Op, Pittsboro's Chatham Marketplace and Elon's Company Shops. Fayetteville has even landed a Co-op, Lafayette Market, which is modeled after Chatham Marketplace.

So that brings us to the question: Will Charlotte establish a true cooperative grocer? According to a source, one may be in the works for a NoDa (North Davidson district) location perhaps. Stay tuned...

Will Charlotte ever get a Whole Foods Market?

2009-01-07T14:39:00.003-05:00

(Above, Whole Foods' original proposed rendering for store in Charlotte's Elizbaeth neighborhood)

November 2010 Update: Charlotte is scheduled to get a Whole Foods Market in 2012. Read more about it here.

Original story:

In 2004, Charlotteans who'd been long-hoping for a Whole Foods to land in Charlotte were delighted to hear that Grubb Properties' Elizabeth Avenue redevelopment project would include the area's first store, at the corner of Hawthorne Lane and Elizabeth Avenue. However, this never happened and at this point Fresh Market will occupy at least part of that space. Regardless, Charlotteans that wanted a Whole Foods weren't entirely disheartened because the chain had announced a second location in SouthPark, directly across the street from Morocroft Harris Teeter and the Morrison Earth Fare on the site of the Colony Apartments.

On last check though, both Charlotte locations have disappeared from Whole Foods' Stores in Development section. The demographics in Charlotte are definitely prime for a Whole Foods Market, especially considering if at one point the grocer wanted to put two stores in town. But the underlying issue keeps us and our readers questioning the store and wondering why there isn't one in town as there seem to be many viable locations and options for them to open a store.

(Above: Whole Foods locations across the Carolinas)

Whole Foods Market does have other store locations in North Carolina: Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem. All of these stores were previously a grocery store called Wellspring, which Whole Foods later took over. Additionally they have stores in Greenville and Mount Pleasant (Charleston) in South Carolina. It leaves us to beg the question is Whole Foods waiting to find the "perfect" location or are there greater forces at work to leave this black whole in Charlotte.

(Store photos via WholeFoods.com, Whole Foods Elizabeth Rendering via Little Architecture)

Grocerying at Harris Teeter's flagship store: Morrocroft Village

2008-12-24T12:35:00.002-05:00

Exterior Photo taken Thanksgiving Day, 2005
Interior Photos taken December 23, 2008

Harris Teeter's Morrocroft Village Flagship Store in Charlotte's SouthPark is the largest store in the entire chain, according to the Mecklenburg County Tax Website it encompasses over 72,000 square feet -- rivaling the size of the HT store at Greensboro's Shops at Friendly Center. The Morrocroft store opened in 1992, replacing the old Harris Teeter at SouthPark Mall, and was created to be a new generation of Harris Teeter flagship stores. Indeed - at the time, especially - Charlotte hadn't seen a grocery store like this and it gained notiriety and the nickname as the original "Taj-Ma-Teeter." Today it is still thriving as one of the busiest stores in Charlotte and one of the busiest HT's in the entire chain.

Also, although Harris Teeter didn't last in Atlanta (to the dismay of many), their initial success was credited to Harris Teeter's Morocroft design. See related article: HT Success in Atlanta began at Morrocroft.

Update: Our friend Pat (of Charlotte Eats and Charlotte Ads) has graciously provided this photo of the Morrocroft store from 1992, noting that a renovation in the late 90s changed this section:
Update 2:
More photos (via cameraphone)

Bi-Lo Independence Square Update

2008-12-13T01:49:00.002-05:00

We've recently learned that the Bi-Lo store at Charlotte's Independence Square on Independence Boulevard has closed. This is the latest store to close on a quickly deteriorating "corridor of crap" where everything is seemingly moving south on US 74, or to the Uptown/Midtown area, leaving a black hole in between. The Steve & Barry's store, which took over the former Super K-mart Center on Independence Boulevard is closing as well, soon to leave another big empty 200,000 square foot store.

Before & After: The Transformation of a Raleigh Wal-Mart

2008-12-13T01:33:00.000-05:00

Raleigh's Wal-Mart Supercenter off of New Hope Church Road started out originally as just a regular Wal-Mart. According to the Wake County tax website, the store originally opened in 1993 and then in 2004 was renovated and expanded. The Wake County Tax site is one of the most comprehensive tax websites in the state, storing photos of buildings from the mid-90s to present day. Because of this, we can chronicle the time line of the Wal-Mart's transformation.

See more photos here

Trader Joe's at The Arbors

2008-11-03T23:56:00.003-05:00

Trader Joe's quick expansion into the Carolinas is evident: they now have 3 stores in the Charlotte region, including the one pictured above at Mallard Creek Church's Arbors in the University City section of Charlotte. Their other two locations in the Queen City include Rea Road in the Ballantyne & Piper Glen area of Southern Mecklenburg County, and one just outside Charlotte's uptown region in Midtown (pictured below). Additionally, they have stores in Cary serving the Raleigh area, and a store in Chapel Hill serving Orange and Durham counties and the surrounding areas, as TJ's is popular with the college students as well. Now, Trader Joe's has announced its first South Carolina location will be going in Greenville, bringing TJ's to the Upstate. We wonder who could be next... The Triad & Greensboro perhaps? Hopefully... stay tuned!

New Trader Joe's - Midtown, Charlotte

2008-09-21T23:30:00.001-04:00

Opening Soon!

Identify the Store: Harris Teeter

2008-07-20T01:19:00.002-04:00

Can anyone tell me where this very unique Harris Teeter store is (or was?)... It has an awesome tiled roof and sort of Mexican-style architecture as a part of the two-story shopping center.

Local Green Markets: Talley's (closed), Home Economist and Berrybrook Farm

2008-07-04T18:06:00.001-04:00

One of Charlotte's original independent natural & organic food markets, Talley's Green Grocery, has closed its doors recently for good. The store opened 17 years ago in the Dilworth Community, at a time when Dilworth was in the midst of a revitalization and re-awakening. Now, with stores such as Trader Joe's and Earth Fare coming into the market, Talley's size, price and variety faced a stiff wall of competition. Still, for those who want natural & organic and want to keep it in the neighborhood, there is Charlotte's first health foods store - Berrybrook Farm - located diagonally across the street from Talley's former location off East Boulevard. Berrybrook Farm is located in a quaint structure that doesn't really blend in with the new modern architectures that surrounds it, thus maintaining a sort of charm. Additionally, Charlotte-based Home Economist has a store in the nearby Sedgefield neighborhood off South Boulevard (and a Davidson and Independence location as well). The Sedgefield store is in a former Harris Teeter, one of the first ones, and incorporates a redesign that has made it one of the sleekest looking grocery stores in Charlotte. Both Berrybrook Farms and Home Economist are definitely worth a visit! See more photos of the South Boulevard Home Economist store on Rebrand.com.

Photo Credits:
Talley's - www.talleys.com
Home Economist - www.rebrand.com, Interior: www.visualstore.com
Berrybrook Farm - Mecklenburg County Tax Website

Harris Teeter is finally in the District...

2008-07-04T00:48:00.001-04:00

The Matthews based grocer opened its long-awaited stores in the District of Columbia earlier this year, one in the Adams Morgan neighborhood and another on Capitol Hill. The Adams Morgan store was originally slated to open a few years ago, however had to wait for permits to be approved. Read more about the Adams Morgan store at DCist, where this photograph came from, and view more photos of the store!

Fresh Market headed to Elizabeth?

2008-01-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

There's word from the Charlotte Business Journal that Greensboro-based specialty grocer Fresh Market is in talks with Grubb Properties to locate a store in Charlotte's Elizabeth Avenue redevelopment project. As most of you know, this is where Whole Foods' first Charlotte location was supposed to go until they put that on hold indefinitely (the SouthPark location is still viable though according to sources). Then after the community unsuccessfully tried to woo back Whole Foods, they started turning to alternatives and it was rumored that possibly an Earth Fare or Fresh Market, or similar type of store, would move in. Fresh Market has two other stores in Charlotte, one on Providence Road in Strawberry Hill (photographed above) and one on Pineville-Matthews Road in Carmel Commons. Also to note, a typical Fresh Market is only half the size of the originally proposed Whole Foods, which was to be 50,000 square feet.

Grocerying in Sandersville, Georgia

2008-01-10T21:23:00.001-05:00

Sandersville, Georgia is a charming small town that lies on the Fall Line Freeway, midway between Augusta and Macon. Its economy is based on Kaolinite and the town has seen many changes over the past few years - especially on the grocerying scene. Once home to grocers such as Food Lion, Bi-Lo, A&P, Winn-Dixie, FoodMax/Bruno's, these grocers have dwindled and left due to the presence of a 200,000+ square foot Super Wal-mart Center. And the truth of the matter is that it is hard to sustain a general grocer when you have a Wal-Mart Supercenter in a town of 6,000. Additionally, the town has been losing population which hasn't helped in bringing in a quality grocery store. Nearby Milledgeville has Piggly Wiggly and Kroger. Sandersville has Harvey's, which is comparable to a low-end Food Lion (Harvey's is a subsidiary of Delhaize Group - parent company of Food Lion). The town also has an IGA+, but as we saw the produce and organization inside the store was less than stellar. Harvey's wasn't much better, they had expired food on their shelves.... The former FoodMax store is still vacant with a lease sign from The Temples Group.

(Also photoed: Pizza Hut closed for "remodel," Kaolin Plaza/signs, Interior of Harvey's and IGA+).

Harris Teeter, Morganton, NC; Laurinburg, NC

2008-01-10T21:08:00.001-05:00

Harris Teeter once tried a foray into the North Carolina mountains, and for the most part it deemed unsuccessful for the grocery chain. However, they still do have a few stores (One in both Asheville and Hendersonville), and a store like this one in Morganton (which is technically part of the Charlotte market). What is further fascinating about this store is that it sports the old Harris Teeter logo and the old prototype design, and that it is located just a few blocks from downtown Morganton. All of these factors make it surprising the store still exists, considering Harris Teeter's vacating of smaller towns in recent years (from competition with discounters such as Wal-Mart Supercenters and lower-cost stores like Aldi and Compare Foods). (photo credit: jerseyman4).

Another older type of Harris Teeter store lies in the town of Laurinburg, NC. This store is interesting for a few reasons. One thing is that it lies half-way between Charlotte and Wilmington on 74, but most of the Harris Teeter stores in towns between Monroe and Wilmington basically have vanished - such as in the neighboring town of Rockingham. However, this one somehow survives. One theory is that Ruddick, Harris Teeter's parent company, has a special relationship with the Saint Andrews College, which is located directly behind the store.

Kmart, Rock Hill, SC

2008-01-10T21:01:00.001-05:00

As I was taking the photo of the Super Bi-Lo next door, I figured that since there aren't many "old school" Kmart stores left, that it would be an opportune time to photograph the Cherry Road Kmart store.

Super Bi-Lo - Rock Hill, South Carolina; Matthews, NC

2008-01-10T20:33:00.001-05:00

This is the first Super Bi-Lo in the Charlotte market, about 25 minutes south of Charlotte in Rock Hill. The store replaces the old Rock Hill Mall on Cherry Road. This store opened in November, and it is 63,000 square feet, nearly double the size of a standard Bi-Lo store. The former Bi-Lo store across the street on Cherry Road is now vacant and it is unknown at this time as to what will fill that spot. Another Bi-Lo, on Main Street in Rock Hill, is also being converted to the Super format. Additionally, a Super Bi-Lo is slated to open in Matthews, NC (at Weddington and McKee Roads) this year as well (photographed below). This is significant too because Bi-Lo is bolstering its image in the Harris-Teeter-saturated suburban south Charlotte market, where Bi-Lo only really has one other store on Elm Lane. Additionally, this marks Bi-Lo's return to Matthews since closing their store on Independence Blvd next to the old K-mart back in the 1990s. Read more about Rock Hill's Bi-Lo store in the press release here (and see how a Super Bi-Lo differs from a regular Bi-Lo).
Have any of you been to a Super Bi-Lo store? Leave comments...

To Note: Greensboro had a Super Bi-Lo (and Knoxville too) at one time, but this was before they implemented the current prototype Super Bi-Lo store.

Belmont, NC Birds eye

2007-12-24T02:44:00.001-05:00

CLICK to see a former Harris Teeter, a current Roses and Eckerd (Rite Aid) store + behind it the new Super Wal-mart in Belmont, NC

Windows Live Local's "Birds' Eye" imagery has come to the Charlotte region, check out the images above provided by this service in Belmont, North Carolina. Belmont, a small town west of Charlotte in Gaston County, once had a Harris Teeter store in the Roses shopping center that closed sometime in the late 90s.

New Updates Coming Soon!

2007-12-20T00:45:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus folks, we're back... new photo updates will be coming soon but how about some new store news:

*Bloom may be headed to Uptown Charlotte's Third Ward projects, with a store possibly a little larger than half the size of a normal Bloom/Food Lion store.

*Earth Fare is rumored to taking what was originally Whole Foods' spot in the Elizabeth community on Hawthorne. (Whole Foods is still set to open a SouthPark location in 2009)

*Trader Joe's 2nd Charlotte location has opened on Mallard Creek Church Road, and a Chapel Hill location has opened as well in a former Earth Fare store.

*Harris Teeter's former Rock Hill store will officially open as Earth Fare on June 25.

Have any news to share with us? Post it here!
thanks...

EDIT:
A poster has informed us that Bloom's got a new store at Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road at Beatties Ford Road. Exciting...

Trader Joe's officially slated for Midtown Charlotte

2007-10-15T20:19:00.001-04:00

Speaking of Trader Joe's, bring on the 3rd location! It was officially announced today that Midtown will indeed be the chain's third Charlotte location!

Above is a picture of the recently-opened Target at Midtown, and the Home Depot Design Center.

Trader Joe's - The Shops at Piper Glen, Charlotte

2007-10-13T03:36:00.001-04:00

Finally, Charlotte's first Trader Joe's store opened in August. This one is in the Piper Glen area of Charlotte, just north of Ballantyne and south of SouthPark. There are 2 more stores set to open in the area, one in University City and potentially one in Midtown. This store is in a former Harris Teeter that has been subdivided. Read more about Trader Joe's in the previous TJ's post.

Super Kmart Center - Southern Pines

2007-10-13T03:31:00.000-04:00

There are not too many Super Kmart Centers left in the state, sadly, and here is a rather uniquely designed former store in Moore County. The closest Kmart stores now are in Sanford and Fayetteville. (photo credits: jerseyman4).

Ingles - Albemarle (At Night)

2007-10-13T03:25:00.000-04:00

Thanks again to jerseyman4 for bringing Grocerying readers these photos of Ingles Markets store in Albemarle. This is one of their eastern-most stores (another being in Thomasville). This one too had cool vintage looking sign.

Disco Ingles - Hendersonville

2007-09-25T00:24:00.001-04:00

Thanks to jerseyman4, we've pictures of Ingles in Hendersonville!!

Trader Joe's - Cary

2007-09-08T00:39:00.003-04:00

Trader Joe's first North Carolina store came to this former Winn-Dixie in Cary last year. The other half of it became a Staples store.

Wikipedia:

Trader Joe's describes itself as "your unique grocery store". Products sold at "TJ's" include gourmet foods, organic foods, vegetarian food, unusual frozen foods, imported foods, domestic and imported wine, "alternative" food items, and basics like bread, cereal, eggs, and produce. Some non-food items, including personal hygiene products, household cleaners, vitamins, pet food, and plants and flowers, are also available. Many of the company's products are considered environmentally friendly.^[9]

Trader Joe's sells many items from any of several of its own private labels. Such labels are quirkily named by the ethnicity of the food in question, such as Trader Jose's (Mexican food), Trader Ming's (Chinese food), Baker Josef's (bagels), Trader Giotto's (Italian food), Trader Joe-San (Japanese food), Trader Johann's (lip balm), and Trader Darwin's (vitamins).

Trader Joe's is also known as the exclusive retailer of Charles Shaw wine, popularly known as Two Buck Chuck^[9] because of its $1.99 a bottle price in California (although in some locales it sells for over $3 a bottle, due to varying state liquor taxes and transportation costs).

How Come at the Grocery Store

2007-09-04T20:42:00.000-04:00

Grocerying in Burlington and Winston-Salem

2007-09-02T14:49:00.001-04:00

It's time for some Triad Grocerying! These photos are from Winston-Salem, Burlington and Gibsonville (NC).

Lowes Foods - Winston-Salem
This store is located at Robinhood and Peace Haven Roads in the Mount Tabor area of Winston-Salem. Winston-Salem is Lowes Foods' home turf and so many of the stores there have the older prototype look to them.

Harris Teeter - Winston-Salem
This HT store is just across the street from the Lowes Foods mentioned above. It has a newer look with the domes on top which are pretty rare to see.

Wal-Mart Supercenter, Burlington
This is the primary Wal-Mart store serving the Burlington and Elon areas.

Super Kmart Center - Burlington
Despite being a dying breed, this K-mart seems to be alive and kicking as a supercenter. Even as competition is increasing in the area. (Greensboro also has Super K-mart).

This Harris Teeter store opened last year after it relocated from its old location across the street. The store it is currently in used to be a Winn-Dixie, and Harris Teeter's old store is now a Gold's Gym.

One of the older styles of Lowes Foods, this was once a Byrd's Grocery Store before Lowes Foods took over them in the 90s.

Earth Fare - SouthPark (Charlotte)

2007-09-02T14:31:00.002-04:00

Earth Fare's SouthPark location opened recently at the mixed-use Morrison center. It is in proximity to the flagship Harris Teeter and the proposed competitor Whole Foods (whose Elizabeth location has been put on hold indefinitely). Additionally, the market's competition is growing with the opening of the new Trader Joe's store at the Shoppes at Piper Glen. Earth Fare's SouthPark location is similar in size to its Ballantyne location at around 25,000 feet, however this new store has more of an urban feel. (last pic via EarthFare.com)

Grocerying in Milledgeville, Georgia

2007-09-02T14:21:00.002-04:00

Kroger (Former Bi-Lo)

Piggly Wiggly - South Milledgeville

Milledgeville, Georgia (population 20,000) is home to the former state capitol and Georgia College and State University. It also houses the area's only Kroger store and two 24-hour Piggly Wiggly stores.

Grocerying in east Lincoln and Gaston counties, NC

2007-09-02T14:10:00.001-04:00

Food Lion - Stanley, NC

Bi-Lo, Stanley, NC

Harris Teeter, Lincolnton (Boger City), NC

[Former] Winn-Dixie, Lincolnton (Boger City), NC

Harris Teeter, Denver (Westport), NC

Food Lion, Denver (Westport), NC

Coming Soon

2007-08-18T00:56:00.001-04:00

Coming very soon.. Lots of new pics and stores and information!! Stay tuned

Before & After: Food Lion, Plaza-Midwood

2007-06-21T02:00:00.001-04:00

This store is one of Charlotte's older grocery stores, however it hasn't always been a Food Lion. According to the tax site and Groceteria, the store opened in 1960 originally as a Winn-Dixie. Winn Dixie closed in 1987, and in 1991 Food Lion moved in. The store, still with its narrow parking lot, serves customers in Charlotte's Plaza-Midwood, Country Club and NoDa neighborhoods. It is also the closest Food Lion store to Uptown Charlotte. There is approximately 36,000 square feet of shopping space inside and the before and after reflects the upgrades that were made to the store over the past couple of years.

Food Lion - Roxboro Rd, Durham

2007-06-21T01:52:00.000-04:00

This plaid-like Food Lion had to be one of the coolest I'd ever seen, so i had to add it. It is located in north Durham.

SuperTargeting the region

2007-06-21T01:43:00.000-04:00

Rivergate - Charlotte

Afton Ridge - Concord

The area's first SuperTarget store came a few years ago up in Mooresville. Now, the region is becoming filled with them (a few years behind the Triangle though). Charlotte's first SuperTarget store came to Rivergate in Steele Creek (southwest Mecklenburg County) and a similar store opened up near Concord Mills at Afton Ridge. There's talk now that the new Target at Midtown in Charlotte may be a super one. Average sizes of stores range at about 175k square feet, compared to regular Targets at around 124k. Additional plans for SuperTargets in the area include one across Northlake Mall and possibly a Gastonia location. [Childress Klein]

Changes coming to Rock Hill's grocerying scene

2007-05-18T13:18:00.003-04:00

[Photo Credit: Rock Hill Herald]
More good news for Rock Hill's Cherry Road area. First there was the announcement of a Super Bi-Lo store coming to the former Rock Hill Mall, which has been vacant and abandoned for years. Now, the former Harris Teeter on Cherry Road could become an Earth Fare store, bringing organics and variety to the market. Additionally, Compare Foods - which focuses on the international and Latino market - is coming to the old Winn-Dixie. It's a good thing to see these boxes being filled!

Harris Teeter - Mintworth Commons

2007-05-04T11:52:00.001-04:00

This is the Harris Teeter that "replaced" both the Independence Blvd & Idlewild (Independence Shopping Center) location and the location at Eastland Mall (and now also the location in Mint Hill Festival). It is located at Margaret Wallace and Idlewild Roads in Mintworth Commons on Wyalong Drive, a typical new-prototype store of Harris Teeter and one of the few stores on Charlotte's east side. The photo is via Lincoln Harris.

Bi-Lo For Sale? + Bi-Lo at Litchfield Landing, SC

2007-04-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

Bi-Lo at Litchfield Landing in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, a uniquely designd store with 33,773 square feet of space. (Edens & Advant) Link: http://www.edensandavant.com/oc_center_detail.asp?cid=232

Interestingly enough, with the rumor of Publix coming into the Charlotte market (and other NC markets), Lone Star Funds has put Bi-Lo on the sales block. Bi-Lo says they aren't going anywhere though but I guess this is one story that we will have to be watching closely (see what happened in the Triad with the whole Southern Family Markets fiasco). And it really wouldn't be surprising, any grocer in CLT that isn't independent (Compare Foods, Home Economoist) or a leading chain (Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Wal-Mart and up-and-coming Lowes Food) will probably not find success in Charlotte (Winn-Dixie, the most recent example).

"In the Charlotte region, Bi-Lo has seen its market share slowly erode as Harris Teeter and Wal-Mart have gained dominance. In 2004, Bi-Lo held 13 percent of the market with 27 stores, according to TradeDimensions International, a market research firm."

Articles:
http://charlotte.com/122/story/81186.html Bi-lo on sales block.
http://charlotte.com/122/story/82470.html Will the whole Bi-Lo sell?

Publix - Columbia

2007-04-11T02:39:00.000-04:00

This very unique Publix store in Columbia is the result of an adaptive reuse plan in the central city, and it is a former printing plant from the mid 1800s that is now an upscale grocery. The Photo is courtesy the Columbia Development Corporation, and more photos, information and the history of this building can be found here . Furthermore, it is important that we bring up Publix because it has been rumored for a while that they might be taking their business one state north to NC - finally, maybe? I guess we'll just have to stay tuned.

Before & After: Bi-Lo, Freedom Drive/Ashley Road

2007-04-11T02:22:00.001-04:00

The first store opened originally in 1978 at Freedom Plaza (corner of Freedom Dr. and Ashley Rd.) as one of the first Kroger Sav-On stores in Charlotte. Then in the 80s when Kroger bowed out, it naturally became a Bi-Lo store. There is also a store that looks identical to this one over on Eastway as well at Northpark Mall. Bi-Lo left this location in 2002 to move down the street to the corner of Ashley and Allegheny to build one of their signature stores that is over 50,000 square feet. At last check, the old store had become a Dollar Tree store.

Information from Charlotte Mecklenburg Tax Website & Groceteria.com

Harris Teeter & Lowes Foods - Mint Hill

2007-04-09T09:43:00.001-04:00

It was quite a challange to find a pic of this Harris Teeter store, but CoStar.com (which has virtually a photo of every retail establishment in the country) had a photo. It is located in Mint Hill Festival, about 15 miles from center city Charlotte. The store, a typical late-80s/early-90s HT model, closed on April 3, 2007 as if no one had noticed. MediaMongrel at UrbanPlanet had reported that this store was the comapny's most underperforming store in the chain. Many say that it was the Lowes Foods, built across the street in the mixed-use Mint Hill Town Center, that was the final death blow to the Harris Teeter store.

Harris Teeter - First Street Station - Albemarle, NC

2007-03-30T10:45:00.001-04:00

This Harris Teeter store is just outside downtown Albemarle in the First Street Station shopping center. It is just over 32,000 square-feet and is one of the older prototype Harris Teeter stores. As we've seen Harris Teeter's exiting of many small towns, we wonder whether or not the fate of this store is up in the air. The photo was taken in January. To see this store with the old Harris Teeter logo, see here: http://www.edensandavant.com/oc_center_detail.asp?cid=257

Piggly Wiggly - Hilton Head Island

2007-03-18T17:40:00.001-04:00

Though not known to most newcomers to the Charlotte region and other urban parts of North Carolina, we do have Piggly Wiggly stores in the Carolinas. In fact, there are two very close to Charlotte - one in Lancaster, SC and another in Clover, SC. Most of their stores are in rural markets of the Carolinas, mostly in the east. Charleston and Myrtle Beach do have their fair share of Piggly Wiggly stores as well. This store is at The Plaza at Shelter Cove in Hilton Head, SC and encompasses 30,280 square feet. (Crosland)

More Bloom and Bottom Dollar

2007-03-18T16:39:00.000-04:00

The Charlotte Observer ran an article today comparing the three Food Lion brands: Food Lion itself, Bloom and Bottom Dollar. We did a post comparing the three markets too, one post about Bottom Dollar and other Food Lion ventures, and one about Bloom. The photos are from the Wikipedia article for Food Lion, the Bloom store is from Accokeek, Maryland and I'm assuming the Bottom Dollar is their Hickory location, but I am not quite sure about it.

Fast facts from the Observer's article:

BLOOM

• 52 stores, four states.• Features high-tech gadgets that allow shoppers to print recipes, find their way around the store or tally their purchases while shopping.

• Features a fresh meat and seafood market; large selection of organic and international foods and store-baked pastries.

• Store rewards card gives customers a 1 percent rebate for each dollar spent.

FOOD LION

• 1,151 stores in 11 states.

• Stores are undergoing a redesign to widen aisles and lower shelves. Upgrading produce and wine departments.

• Smaller selection of international and organic foods; seafood is fresh but prepackaged.

• MVP card gives discounts on select items.

BOTTOM DOLLAR

• 18 stores in three states.

• Customers bag their own groceries. Polyester cloth bags cost $1 each, heavy plastic bags go for 5 cents each, and boxes are free.

• No on-site deli or bakery.

• At most stores, no card required to receive discounts. Hickory store is testing a free membership card.

One Year

2007-02-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

Grocerying is one year old today.
Thank you all for supporting this website and making it possible!

Wal-Mart - Callabridge Landing

2007-02-18T23:49:00.000-05:00

Some people think they're pure evil. Others love the discounter. However, one thing is fact, they are certainly growing fast and as the ~~nation's~~ world's largest retailer it's inevitable for them not to have a presence in the region. In fact with that presence comes growth in their market share, which is taking on longtime market leaders Harris Teeter and Food Lion. [See related article]. The Wal-Mart pictured above is in Charlotte's northwest region in the Mountain Island Lake area.

Related article:
Wal-Mart gains on standard groceries

Grocerying in Winston-Salem

2007-01-16T00:33:00.001-05:00

Lowes Foods - [Silas Creek] Parkway Plaza

This Lowes Foods opened in 1992, but is slated to close this month and become a Compare Foods store, which will be Winston-Salem's first. The store looks older than an early 90s store though, so I'm guessing it was something previously (a Byrd's perhaps?).
UPDATE: Grocerying reader Matt said that this store was once Lowes Foods' flagship store upon re-entering the Winston-Salem market and the first to feature their current logo and was most likely a Lowes since its opening.

Former Harris Teeter? - K-mart Plaza, Peters Creek Parkway

Is this really a former Harris Teeter store on Peters Creek Parkway, next to an old-school K-mart (which I have added a picture of for reference). If it was an old HT, it must have been the really old prototype store. (K-mart pictured below)
UPDATE: Anonymous said this was indeed a former Harris Teeter, which was originally a Big Star, and it operated as a low-volume store until its closing in the late 1990s.

K-mart - Peters Creek Parkway (see related blurb above)

Harris Teeter - Thruway Center

This store is located in one of Winston's oldest shopping centers, Thruway, and I consider this a "legacy" store of Harris Teeter, one that fits in the category with the other Morocroft-like prototype stores of the chain. I think that most of the major NC cities have one of these HT stores, as seen Thruway in Winston-Salem, Morocroft in Charlotte, Cameron Village in Raleigh, Friendly Center in Greensboro and Commons at University Place in Durham.
Update: Steven said this store was built where a Winn-Dixie once stood, once very upmarket.

Harris Teeter - Cloverdale

This HT nearby to the previous one shown is an old Kroger store (I believe) and is in close proximity to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (that's a mouthful).
Update: Steven said before this was an HT & Kroger, it was a former Zayre. Additionally, old Kroger shells are found in the area at the Dollar Tree store in Cloverdale and the Goodwill nearby.

Former Bi-Lo, turned former Southern Family Markets, Peters Creek Parkway.

Food Lion - Peters Creek Parkway.

This store is directly across the street from the former Southern Family Markets and probably has gained a lot of business from the former customers of that store.

Grocerying in Asheville

2007-01-16T00:04:00.001-05:00

Sav-Mor Foods

I don't have a lot of info on this store, but it is located off Merrimon in north Asheville. Some say it was former a Best Foods? Leave comments if you've got any information on this store. I've seen a couple others throughout the mountains.
Update: Anonymous said "Regarding Sav-Mor, it was a Best Foods prior to being Sav-Mor. The name has just changed on the front but the store itself (with the exception of some sundry items) and the staff are all the same as when it was Best Foods. It's owned by the Ingles chain and carries their LaraLynn store brand products. Before Best Foods opened there, it was a Winn-Dixie store and then stayed vacant for quite a while when that closed. Harris Teeter wanted to open a store there but, as I recall, there was some neighborhood resistance to it (problem with right of ways and loading docks) and during that time Ingles bought the property and installed their Best Foods store shortly thereafter."

Bi-Lo, Hendersonville Road

This Bi-Lo store serves communities along Hendersonville Road between Asheville and Arden. Bi-Lo's presence in Asheville is natural due to the fact that they are based just down the highway near Greenville, SC. This one is located at the corner of Overlook Drive at the base of a hill, across K-mart.

Ingles / Long Shoals Road (near Biltmore Park & Arden)

Ingles - Merrimon Road / North Asheville

Ingles is Asheville's omnipresent food retailer and is a homegrown chain too. Their stores range from new prototypes to smaller stores which still have a charm of yesteryear, and they carry a wide range of products to serve Asheville's eclectic population. The store above is on Merrimon Road, near Asheville Country Club and UNCA. The store at the top is the new Ingles prototype, akin to that of newer Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Bloom and Super Bi-Lo stores.

Food Lion - Weaverville Road (Newbridge Shopping Center)

This Food Lion store is located between Asheville and Weaverville, and serves north Asheville. Additionally, it is the closest Food Lion store to UNC Asheville.

Earth Fare - Westgate, Asheville.

This store is Earth Fare's flagship location and first store which began in 1975 and helped enable them to be the fine natural and organic foods retailer that they've become today. Read more about this store here: http://www.earthfare.com/storeinfo/details/3079

See Also: Harris Teeter - Asheville

Also: Greenlife Grocery
Unfortunately, I never did get a chance to get a pic of Greenlife Grocery, as anonymous #2 was asking about (who also mentioned that they were rated best grocer by the Mountain Xpress). However, I must say that they are definately worth mentioning and supporting. Personally I like them because they carry LOCAL organic produce (which seems to be a rarity nowadays) and it is my wish that there were more stores like theirs. Here's more info from their Myspace:
[yes, a grocer with a myspace!]

"The Asheville store opened on July, 17th 2004. The original Greenlife Grocery was opened by Chuck Pruett in July 1999, located in an charming old corner grocery on Hixson Pike in the Riverside area of Chattanooga. Greenlife Grocery is a full service natural foods store dedicated to bringing you and your family the freshest and healthiest foods and products available. No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils. We are committed to supporting local foods and local economy. We believe a healthy environment starts with a healthy community. We strive to support organic local produce, local meats, local cheeses, local breads, local supplements & body care, and other local goods whenever possible. We pride ourselves in offering as many organic options to our customers as are available. We believe that supporting organic is one of the best ways to make positive changes in people's health and the environments of local communities, and the earth itself. Greenlife operates two full-service natural foods grocery stores dedicated to bringing you and your family the freshest and healthiest foods and products available. No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives. The freshest and finest in Chattanooga, TN, and Asheville, NC. Greenlife Grocery is proud to support local suppliers of food and other natural products, as well as serve the Chattanooga and Asheville communities through education, events, promotions, and sponsorships. The original Greenlife Grocery was opened by Chuck Pruett in July 1999, located in an charming old corner grocery on Hixson Pike in the Riverside area of Chattanooga. Originally built as a Food King grocery store, the Chattanooga Greenlife has about 8,000 sq. ft. Greenlife expanded with the opening of the Asheville store in July, 2004. Chuck Pruett and his partner John Swann transformed an old A&P grocery store with attached laundramat, built in the mid-1960's, into the new 20,000 sq. ft. store. Greenlife Grocery Asheville is located one block off I-240 just north of downtown Asheville."

Former Earth Fare - Eastgate, Chapel Hill

2007-01-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy EarthFare.com
This Earth Fare store in North Carolina's quintessential college town of Chapel Hill originally opened as the specialty market A Southern Season. A Southern Season left the space when they moved into the former Belk store at University Mall and in June 2005 Earth Fare took the space at Eastgate. However, Chapel Hill is a very competitive grocery market and it seems that there wasn't enough room for so many specialty foods retailers. a Whole Foods, about five Harris Teeter stores, three Food Lion stores and a Lowes Foods store accompany the Earth Fare in the grocery market. Additionally, farmers markets like the Carrboro and Southern Village Farmers Markets and the cooperative Weaver Street Food Market contribute to the region's plethora of grocerying. So with that, Earth Fare will be closing its doors and according to the News & Observer, another upscale grocer will move in its place. Also on a related note for the area, Carrboro is expected to get a new Harris Teeter store in a shopping center called The Shops at Jones Ferry.

Edit: We've learned that this will become a Trader Joe's!

Links
Federal Realty Investment Trust
News & Observer story

Lowes Foods, Little River Pavillion

2006-12-18T13:51:00.001-05:00

(Photo courtesy Crescent Retail)
This Lowes Foods store in Little River, SC (just north of Myrtle Beach) is the fast-growing grocer's second store in South Carolina, after their store in Tega Cay just outside Charlotte. Lowes Foods' freshmart/freshsmart concept has enabled to grow and expand outside their core markets attracting new patrons and enabling them to become more competitive. This beautiful store is designed in a style that is very light and airy and blends in very well with the beach. The store is about 43,000 square feet and is located at Hwy 17 and Hwy 179 in Little River.

Harris Teeter - Gaston Mall, Gastonia

2006-12-17T23:42:00.001-05:00

(Photo courtesy Pat Richardson and Steven Swain)

Gaston Mall's Harris Teeter store is one of the chain's oldest stores that is still in operation. It opened in the early 60s with Gaston Mall, which is a small indoor shopping center that has a Hollywood Video, Mary Jo's clothing store, a variety of locally owned stores, and the mall was until recently anchored by Media Play. What is notable about this store, besides its design, is that the future of Gaston Mall is up in the air amid rumors of a SuperTarget coming to the space. The question remains as to what will happen to the Harris Teeter and other stores. Additionally, this HT serves the eastern Gaston towns of Mt. Holly and Belmont (whose Harris Teeter store closed in the 1990s). This store faces I-85 at Cox Road, just east of downtown Gastonia and about 25 minutes west of downtown Charlotte. It is one of three Harris Teeter stores in Gaston County, the others being in southern Gastonia and Cherryville

Related Links
Gaston Mall Future up in the air

Krogering in Wake County

2006-12-10T21:03:00.002-05:00

Kroger - Wakefield Commons (New Falls of Neuse) - Raleigh (Wake Forest)

Kroger - West Park Place - Cary

Kroger - Town North - Raleigh

Kroger - The Shops At Pine Hill - Raleigh

Kroger - Wilders Grove - Raleigh

Kroger - Lynnwood Collection - Raleigh

Kroger - Garner Towne Square - Garner

Kroger - Fuquay Crossing - Fuquay Varina

Kroger - East Six Forks Road - Raleigh

Kroger - Maynard Crossing Shoping Center - Cary

Kroger - Bent Tree Plaza - Raleigh

Kroger - Lake Pine Plaza Shopping Center - Apex

Although the Charlotte and Triad metros may be devoid of Kroger stores now, one section of the state still has them. Wake and Durham Counties have Kroger stores, and there is also one Kroger in Greenville, NC. Kroger is the nation's largest grocer (if you don't count Wal-Mart Supercenter) and has kept a good presence in the Triangle area, maybe due to the fact that there are so many newcomers to the region and from where they moved there likely was a Kroger store. Kroger can be defined as the quintessential mid-market grocery store.

Most of the showcased Kroger stores are in Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Apex and Fuquay Varina -- all Wake County towns, seeing as collection of images comes primarily via Wake County Tax Website (which does a great job of keeping up with digital images). Additional images provided by Regency Centers Online and Loopnet Images.

Bloom - Cheshire Commons, Charlotte

2006-12-05T22:48:00.000-05:00

(Image via Treo Systems)

Well, after talking about Bottom Dollar and Food Lion's other ventures, I figured it was time to make a post about Bloom. Bloom originated as a test-concept in north Charlotte with five area stores, and is quickly expanding now to the upstate of South Carolina and the Washington, D.C. area. They focus on convienence and their layout is atypical of a standard grocer. Visual Store has a great article on Bloom and how this concept works (Images too). A perk is being able to scan your own items before you place it in the cart, and that certainly helps make Bloom certainly is "a different kind of grocery store." The Bloom picture above is the flagship store at Sugar Creek Rd & Harris Blvd. It is about 39,000 square feet and opened brand new in 2004.

Tabletop Circle - Essential items centered around this section.

Links
ShopBloom.com
Bloom at Greensboring.com
Info about iPal at Treo Systems
Cheshire Commons

Stock 'N Save - W Arrowood Rd, Charlotte; Bottom Dollar and other Food Lion ventures.

2006-12-05T22:11:00.000-05:00

If it looks like a Food Lion and smells like a Food Lion, is it a Food Lion? Well not quite. This is a $tock 'N $ave store in southwest Charlotte, and according to Funding Universe, the store is actually a concept that is like Aldi, a no-frills market that carries only a fourth of what a normal grocery store would, keeping pricing and overhead low. This is akin to the concept of Food Lion's new Bottom Dollar stores (and this Stock 'N Save may become a Bottom Dollar, if it already hasn't). Bottom Dollar's reception has been cold, to say the least. Most patrons who've had their former Food Lion turned into a Bottom Dollar are thoroughly disappointed.

Interestingly enough, Food Lion also owns two other discount grocers in the south, Reid's in South Carolina (which to our knowledge, has no web presence except for an online ad on a local newspaper's website.) and Harvey's throughout Georgia. Grocerying reader Elizabeth expressed her displeasure about Harvey's saying their grocerying needs are "retro" and "they don't even have a loyalty card." She also went on to comment about the store's condition, stating "the dust is caked on the expiration date and the shelf life has really outsone itself."

Links:
Funding Universe
About Bottom Dollar

Bi-Lo - Independence Square, Charlotte

2006-11-24T01:21:00.001-05:00

(Berkley Capital/KIMCO)
This Bi-Lo grocery store in Charlotte's Independence Square Shopping Center encompasses around 56,000 square feet and the store was originally built in 1988. The store was a Kroger for a short period of time the 80s, when Kroger tried to unsuccessfully re-enter the Charlotte market.** The store has great visibility from the heavily traveled Independence Boulevard (Hwy 74) between downtown Charlotte and Matthews.

**Edit: actually, according to Grocerying reader Rick, this store was never a Kroger.

Harris Teeter - Winthrop Commons, Rock Hill

2006-11-24T00:46:00.001-05:00

(Picture via Rock Hill Herald)

This Harris Teeter store opened in the early 1960s in Winthrop Commons, near downtown Rock Hill, and served the namesake college nearby and the surrounding area for 40+ years until it closed its doors a few weeks ago. The store was 25,000 square feet, and Harris Teeter had cited that the reason for closing the store was because they wouldn't have enough room to expand it to offer all of their services. The Harris Teeter store on Celenase Road will remain open and expand to encompass about 45,000 square feet, and this will be the only Harris Teeter in Rock Hill now.

Harris Teeter at Charlotte's Cotswold Village and Raleigh's Lassiter Mill

2006-11-13T21:09:00.003-05:00

Harris Teeter Cotswold

November 2006 (After):
November 2005 (Before):

One of Charlotte's oldest Harris Teeter stores, open since the early 1960s, has gotten a facelift. It is also one of the highest-grocing stores in the area. A beautiful store part of Cotswold Village Shops in Southeast Charlotte. Although the red crosshatching pattern on the windows will be missed, it is nice to see this store's renovation. There is new brick on the exterior, and it resembles the store at Lassiter Mill in Raleigh (see below) The original picture of the store above was taken on Thanksgiving Day (of the pre-remodel store) so that's why there are no cars in the lot, otherwise it's be packed as it is in the post-remodel photo.

Update: Interior Photos, Feb. 2009: Notice the similar style of the ceiling in the bakery/produce section, and the use of drop ceilings only found in older Harris Teeter stores these days.

Harris Teeter at Lassiter Mill Shopping Center, Raleigh, NC: (Feb. 2005)

This store which looks similar to the one in Cotswold was remodeled in 2002 as a part of the whole North Hills revitalization, a few miles north of downtown Raleigh. Here is a picture of the store from 1995, courtesy the Wake County Tax Website. I'm not 100% sure the store was a Harris Teeter in 1995 because it's hard to read exactly what the sign says although it does look like one, but i'm sure someone will know for sure. Edit: Steven says it was formerly a Winn-Dixie store.

1995:

Update: As of 2010, Harris Teeter's Lassiter Mill store has closed and relocated to a two-level location across the street in the new North Hills expansion.

Food Lions Galore

2006-10-28T01:47:00.000-04:00

To mark our return from the two-month hiatus on Grocerying, I've decided to share a collection of Loopnet images of regional Food Lion stores. Enjoy.
Food Lion - Cramer Marketplace - Cramerton, NC

This store is located west of Charlotte, in the Gaston County town of Cramerton. It serves people from adjacent communities of Lowell, Belmont and McAdenville (a.k.a. Christmastown, USA). It s at the intersection of Market and 74.

Food Lion - Clover Plaza - Clover, SC
This store is located off of Highway 55, just east of Clover in northern York County. It is one of two primary grocery stores serving the town (the other is Piggly Wiggly, incedentally the closest Piggly Wiggly store to Charlotte). This store encompasses 29,000 square feet.

Food Lion - South Square - Lancaster, SC
This Food Lion, like the Clover store, is also 29,000 square feet. It is located in southwest Lancaster, serving the Crocketts' Crossroads community, off of Airport Road.

Food Lion - Union Town Square - Monroe, NC
This Food Lion which was recently renovated has changed it's look dramatically. Notice the K-mart next to it still has the old K-mart prototype look and the stores don't really match. However this store gets excellent visibility because of its location off of the busy Roosevelt Blvd.

Food Lion - Sunset Dr - Monroe, NC
This is an older store which was also recently renovated. The shopping center serves the southern community of Monroe, Union County's seat; and for a lot of people in rural southern Union County south of the city, this Food Lion is the closest full-service grocery to them.

Food Lion - Anson Station Shopping Center - Wadesboro, NC
This store located in the center of Anson County is a vital grocer for many of the county's residents. As one of the only full-service grocery stores in the county, the store does see a lot of traffic. The store complements a Wal-Mart department store who also anchors the center.

Food Lion - High Rock Landing - Davidson County, NC
This store is located near I-85, just south of Lexington on Hwy 8. The store was built in 1987.

SuperTarget - Wake Forest (Raleigh)

2006-08-28T01:12:00.000-04:00

SuperTarget is definately becoming a major player in the Carolina grocery market. I took this photo about 2 years ago, and since SuperTarget has began its expansion into the Charlotte market. We've yet to see SuperTarget stores in the Triad, but I'd imagine they are in the works. Currently the Triangle has over half a dozen stores or so.

Southern Family Markets: Leaving NC

2006-08-12T13:14:00.000-04:00

(Southern Family Markets - High Point)

It is noteworthy mentioning that Southern Family Markets, which was the store that replaced Bi-Lo when they pulled out of the Triad and Fayetteville areas of NC, is now pulling out of NC altogether. We've lost two major grocers in the Triad area (Winn Dixie and Bi-Lo), and now with SFM leaving will we see vacant storefronts, independent grocers, a new or returning player to the market (Kroger, Publix) or one of the current chains (Lowes, Food Lion, HT) takeover these stores... your thoughts?

Winston Salem Journal article

Winn Dixie - Forest Oaks, Greensboro

2006-07-30T01:38:00.001-04:00

After sitting vacant for over a year, it was recently announced that this former Winn Dixie in the Forest Oaks Community will become a Food Lion. A major boon to the residents who have been trying to get a grocer in the area for a long time, and a debacle going on with the city over the sewer system and the not so fickle developer. The photo was taken last year in the final days before the store shut down. To put it into perspective, the closest grocery store is approx. 8 miles away for the Forest Oaks Community.

12.8.06 Edit: http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=91973&SecID=2
The Winn Dixie caught ablaze on 10/5; no new word on the Food Lion either.

Lowes Foods - ID The Store

2006-07-17T02:23:00.000-04:00

This store is on Lowes Foods' own website... can anyone tell me where it's located? Thanks

Edit: We have answers! Both lowes617 and Cathy from Lowes Foods have told us that this store is located in Hickory, NC at Mountain View.