Could Kroger and/or Publix be headed to Charlotte?

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

Bi-Lo files for bankruptcy protection

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 in Winston-Salem

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.

Southern Family Markets: Leaving NC

(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