Food Lion changes strategy in grocery wars

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Food Lion supermarkets are putting on a new face

[Noneck_08]

I've been supporting Food Lion's remodeling plan from the begain. Living in a city dominated by the brand it's nice to see the change. I have yet to see any of these new concept stores but I've heard good things about the bloom. Any idea of what towns they will be pulling out some of these new concepts?

[rooster8]

I know Hickory has a Bottom Dollar store. It looked pretty good from the outside.

[suburban george3]

Food Lion indeed has created a more upscale image as the EDLP program is losing to the WalMart Supercenters. However, I have yet to see if service has improved at these locations. I have seen a Bottom Dollar store and it will be interesting in Food Lion can make that concept work in the size store they have. Most of the low end concepts work better in smaller footprint locations (ie Aldi's, Sav-a-Lots.) Food Lion still pulls fair numbers just based on the quantity of stores, but I can say working in the grocery industry that they rarely have a major impact on competing stores anymore when they open in a market.

[StevenRocks]

Food Lion's new look feels fresher and is certainly an improvement. I haven't been to Bottom Dollar or Bloom yet.

[Damien]

Isn't there a Bloom somewhere in the Triad? I seem to recall going to one there.

[AuLukey]

The new Bloom feels like Food Lion dressed up to look more like a Harris Teeter, but didn't quite get there. Their prices (savings card included) don't seem to match HT's at times either. For cheap grub I'll wait in line in the self-checkout in SuperWalmart, for the higher end, I'm too set into HT to ever change my ways. Luckily I live almost next to the Cab-Meck county border, so I get the whole selection between NE University City and SE Concord.

[DigitalSky]

No Blooms in the Triad... but they are nice stores. I've been to the store on Harris Blvd in Clt

[suburban george3]

Food Lion's new look feels fresher and is certainly an improvement. I haven't been to Bottom Dollar or Bloom yet.

It is indeed quite an improvement, even though I have been in a couple with curved aisles. What is that all about??? Oh well, I'm sure some overpriced designer told them that "it was the thing!"

[rjp212]

We've had a Bloom here in Mooresville for close to 2 yrs now I think. It's definetly an improvement over the old store model that use to be there.

[StevenRocks]

It is indeed quite an improvement, even though I have been in a couple with curved aisles. What is that all about??? Oh well, I'm sure some overpriced designer told them that "it was the thing!"

I actually like the curved aisles. You can see what's on the aisle better.

[suburban george3]

No Blooms in the Triad... but they are nice stores. I've been to the store on Harris Blvd in Clt

I know Bloom has been pretty much a Charlotte area thing so far. I'm not sure if Food Lion would bring it to the Triad or not....

[DigitalSky]

I know Bloom has been pretty much a Charlotte area thing so far. I'm not sure if Food Lion would bring it to the Triad or not....

It's a north Charlotte thing really... here in the southern portion of Charlotte there are none

[StevenRocks]

It's a north Charlotte thing really... here in the southern portion of Charlotte there are none

With all the Harris Teeters in south Charlotte, there's not much room for Bloom.

[Plasticman]

I'd like to see Foodlion execs come to Athens and get rid of the very large rats that feed outside the East Athens Food Lion every single night.

[AuLukey]

I'd like to see Foodlion execs come to Athens and get rid of the very large rats that feed outside the East Athens Food Lion every single night.

(Those are raccoons)

[monsoon]

The basic problem that Foodlion has with Bloom and its new upscale stores, is that it still operates them with a management style that is befitting the lowest of the low grociers. They don't have enough cashiers, what ones they do have are badly trained and managed, and some of these stores are dirty, and they don't even take American Express. These are the things they need to fix, in a very consistant manner, if they hope to move themselves from competing with Walmart and into the rhelm of competing with Harris Teeter, Lowes, and other high end grociers.

[cinco]

With all the Harris Teeters in south Charlotte, there's not much room for Bloom.

no, but weddington and waxhaw area could probably handle a bloom.

*i broke rank last week and did our grocery shopping @ food lion instead of HT. while there are obvious differences in their appearances... i almost got our identical grocery list, for 1/3 of the HT bill.

[suburban george3]

I'd like to see Foodlion execs come to Athens and get rid of the very large rats that feed outside the East Athens Food Lion every single night.

Maybe those are the exec?? LOL

They don't even take AMEX at Bloom?!?! C'mon, I know the transaction rates are rediculous compared to Visa/MC but think about your clientele!! They just don't completely get it, do they?

If Food Lion stays in the WalMart realm, they will suffer. Just look at Winn-Dixie and KMart, two examples of poorly managed companies that tried to "out WalMart" WalMart and lost.