Rise of the Discounters

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.

Whole Foods continues NC expansion into Wilmington

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.

Before & After: Hannaford to Harris Teeter, Stonecrest, Charlotte

Charlotte once had Hannaford Supermarkets. It was short-lived, lasting only from the mid 90s to the early 00s, but it was a brave foray into the market by the supermarket chain. They also expaned into other parts of the Carolinas, including Raleigh. (Most of the Raleigh stores were turned into Lowes Foods). In the immediate Charlotte region, the store had locations in areas such as Park Road (now where Park Towne Village is), Johnston Road (Now a Food Lion), Matthews Township Parkway (now a Hobby Lobby), University City (now a Dick's Sporting Goods), Eastland Mall (stilll vacant) and as pictured , Stonecrest which is now a Harris Teeter, seen in the inset. (The original picture is courtesy the Mecklenburg County Real Estate Tax Lookup website)