Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion has remodeled hundreds of stores in the past couple of years, mostly in the North Carolina market.
The latest 93-store, $178 million project in the Greensboro, N.C., market had its grand re-opening on August 2, highlighting the company's efforts to lower prices and enhance fresh offerings through its “Easy, Fresh and Affordable” strategy.
From the press release:
- Fully remodeled stores that provide an easier place to shop for customers by grouping like products, installing new signage to help locate items faster, as well as a more efficient checkout process;
- Lower prices on thousands of items across all departments;
- Improved quality and freshness for products throughout the store, including produce and meats;
- Expanded variety and assortment across all departments that is relevant to our customers in each store, such as more local products like produce, craft beer, and natural and organic selections;
- Enhanced customer service achieved by hiring more than 1,000 associates throughout the region and investing in additional customer-centric training for nearly 7,000 associates in the market.
The company also is piloting a walk-in produce cooler in 16 of the stores, and plans to remodel another 71 locations in the Richmond, Va., market by the end of the year, bringing the number of refreshed stores to about half of its 1,000 stores.
Why North Carolina?
Why now?
Well, Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets has opened about 35 stores in North Carolina since 2014, Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets is eyeing the Tar Heel State, as well, and Winston-Salem-based Lowe's Foods has spent the past three years remodeling.
And, of course, let's not forget the small format onslaught from Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market, Aldi Inc., and, of course, the U.S. entry of German discounter Lidl. North Carolina is a primary target for Lidl in its initial wave of store openings.
In light of all of this, remodels, price incentives and enhancements in fresh all make sense if Food Lion's going to be able to compete in this market.