Charlotte Supermarkets

[Third Strike]

Lidl in University City will be opening next Wednesday, June 16th:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/patch.com/north-carolina/charlotte/amp/29593065/lidl-to-open-new-charlotte-store-in-university-city-details

[InSouthPark]

Construction on the site of the Carmel Commons Lidl is a full go.  Site prep going on now and the store foundation is level and staked out.  I think that location will be a home run (but also fear it might negatively effect Fresh Market across the street).  The Carmel Commons Publix (if it ever gets built) will likely be the last nail for that small, outdated Fresh Market.

[704Dimitri]

New Publix’s coming within the Charlotte Area!

[InSouthPark]

10 hours ago, 704Dimitri said:

New Publix’s coming within the Charlotte Area!

 

The Publix "expansions" have been terribly slow.  The Carmel Commons one is 5+ years in the making.  Arboretum?  Close to another 5 years.  Colony Place...who knows how long that has been planned.  The Tryon St one...LOL.   They also planned one at Providence and Fairview in another Levine Land but we all know that wont happen.   Most of the time when I see a "publix is coming"...it's a I'll believe it when I see it situation.  They have some prime spots to get into the market in South Charlotte but dragging their feet on construction.

[704Dimitri]

2 hours ago, InSouthPark said:

The Publix "expansions" have been terribly slow.  The Carmel Commons one is 5+ years in the making.  Arboretum?  Close to another 5 years.  Colony Place...who knows how long that has been planned.  The Tryon St one...LOL.   They also planned one at Providence and Fairview in another Levine Land but we all know that wont happen.   Most of the time when I see a "publix is coming"...it's a I'll believe it when I see it situation.  They have some prime spots to get into the market in South Charlotte but dragging their feet on construction.

Once the distribution center in Greensboro opens up later next year, expect a huge influx of Publix's in not only North Carolina, but Tennessee, South Carolina, and Virginia! 

[kermit]

Good news for the West End area. Weaver Street Market (from Carrboro) is looking for space in West End. This was tucked into a CBJ article on redevelopment produced by the Gold Line.

Quote

After several years of lobbying, she said, the Triangle-based Weaver Street Market, a combination grocery and on-site dining spot with prepared food and beverages, is interested in exploring a store in the area. Weaver Street has four stores in the Raleigh area. Adams said she is helping in the search for a site for a co-op market. Weaver Street founder Ruffin Slater confirmed talks with Adams. 

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2021/07/23/gold-line-streetcar-driving-development-west-side.html

[InSouthPark]

Publix "news": the rezoning for store next to Carmel Commons was approved last week.  Publix bought this parcel 5 years ago and looks like they can actually start construction now.   Not counting my chickens before I see demo of the office building though.  No demo permits that I can find. 

[KJHburg]

Lowes Food is enterting Meckelnburg county again taking over the old EarthFare in Huntersville.  Lowes Food stores has stores in Harrisburg and Mooresville now and all over NC outside the Charlotte area.  

From Triad Biz Journal:

""Lowes Foods will open a new concept store in a former EarthFare location.  The Winston-Salem based supermarket chain will open the store at 14021 Boren St. in Huntersville.  The new concept will feature specialized food service, entertainment, and an overall "frictionless" shopping experience. The food service of the Huntersville store will focus on made-to-order food along with along with traditional grab-and-go options.  “We are particularly excited about the concept for our new Huntersville store. It’s been described as our small format, but, in reality, it’s so much more,” Lowes Foods President Tim Lowe said. “It has been in the planning and design stages for some time and will be the first of its kind that will have a focus on entertainment while at the same time offering a seamless shopping experience."""

Lowes Foods opens concept store in Huntersville - Triad Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Harris Teeter bought out most of the Lowes Food stores in the area except for the Harrisburg and Mooresville stores.  Why because those stores had Lowes Gas station which HT was not interested in UNTIL Harris Teeter was bought out by Kroger which loves gas stations with their stores. 

[JRNYP2C]

On 7/31/2021 at 9:25 AM, KJHburg said:

Lowes Food is enterting Meckelnburg county again taking over the old EarthFare in Huntersville.  Lowes Food stores has stores in Harrisburg and Mooresville now and all over NC outside the Charlotte area.  

From Triad Biz Journal:

""Lowes Foods will open a new concept store in a former EarthFare location.  The Winston-Salem based supermarket chain will open the store at 14021 Boren St. in Huntersville.  The new concept will feature specialized food service, entertainment, and an overall "frictionless" shopping experience. The food service of the Huntersville store will focus on made-to-order food along with along with traditional grab-and-go options.  “We are particularly excited about the concept for our new Huntersville store. It’s been described as our small format, but, in reality, it’s so much more,” Lowes Foods President Tim Lowe said. “It has been in the planning and design stages for some time and will be the first of its kind that will have a focus on entertainment while at the same time offering a seamless shopping experience."""

Lowes Foods opens concept store in Huntersville - Triad Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Harris Teeter bought out most of the Lowes Food stores in the area except for the Harrisburg and Mooresville stores.  Why because those stores had Lowes Gas station which HT was not interested in UNTIL Harris Teeter was bought out by Kroger which loves gas stations with their stores. 

I miss having Lowes' Food in the area.  Glad they are starting to make slow inroads once more.

[rancenc]

1 hour ago, JRNYP2C said:

I miss having Lowes' Food in the area.  Glad they are starting to make slow inroads once more.

The one in Harrisburg is always busy even with the addition of Publix across the street in a newer center, two Harris Teeters, Aldi and Food Lion in the vicinity.

[turbocraig]

23 hours ago, JRNYP2C said:

I miss having Lowes' Food in the area.  Glad they are starting to make slow inroads once more.

I agree.  There’s something cozy and familiar about Lowe’s that reminds me of Earth Fare mixed with Ingles.  Probably because any time we go to a Lowe’s or Ingles I’m on my way out of town or to the mountains and they’re always the grocery store that happens to be around.   They give me good vibes.  

[Blue_Devil]

Anybody hear anything about the South End Lidl? 

[KJHburg]

No word yet on the Lidl on South Blvd but they own the land and I suspect they will build it at some point.  I am sure they are getting offers on the property.

In other grocery news from Richmond that might affect our local market.  Wegmans has finally purchased their land for 1 M sq ft warehouse after about a year of delays.  Why is this important or relevant?  Wegmans can't move any further south until they get a distribution center closer than central PA.  With this Richmond warehouse opening in 2 years or less they can start announcing stores for the Charlotte area which I fully expect they will.  They have 4 open stores in Raleigh Cary Wake Forest and Chapel Hill and one more to go in Holly Springs.  That is 4 in Wake County and 1 in Orange County.   I expect at least that many for this area and I still believe the first one announced will be in Ballantyne on N Community House Rd.  I would say others could be in Cabarrus, Lake Norman Mooresville, Union County another location in Charlotte.  

Wegmans pays $4M for 220-acre site of contested Hanover County facility - Richmond BizSense

[videtur quam contuor]

On 4/21/2021 at 7:39 PM, KJHburg said:

the history of the Park N Shop and one that is being renovated into office space on Wilkinson.  The other location I know of at N Tryon and Sugar Creek is a Compare Foods today.

Remembering Park-N-Shop - Charlotte is Creative

article talks about the old Charlotte grocery stores. 

Went to the former Park n Shop on Wilkinson today:

Front left area:

Central section:

Right section:

I checked with my resident historian who has much longer Charlotte tenure than I and her memory is that shopping for groceries in 1950's to 60's at Park Road Center, and South Boulevard was a white person experience. No Black people in the front of the store except an occasional woman in domestic uniform shopping for her employer family with employer car. M-a-a-a-a-ybe another black person rarely. So uncommon that her memory is uncertain. 

Think of the message that Chrles Reid, consciously or not, provided here. Park and Shop. Large parking area, drive your car, enjoy your experience. The message was that any other than white citizens were unlikely to be able to own, drive, and shop as they wished. The result was the same, in any case.

And on Deherradora street (what a name. It is poetry itself) beside the building: Rhonda's is Rhonda's. Armed security guard on premises. Silence your phone. Must buy a pack if you enter. Seems fun.

[videtur quam contuor]

For want of a better location to post this, Westerly Hills has a new apartment block. A block from Park n Shop and a short block off Wilkinson. Evoke is the name. A view of the top of BOA and Duke buildings from the ground through full summer foliage so winter view from upper units must be interesting for those who prefer such things.

Westerly Hills is west of Ashley Park, beyond the Walmart as one leaves the city on Wilkinson. Westerly Hills still looks good, the bit I drove through today. 1950's small ranch houses, 1,000-1400 sf or so. Yards clean, a few renovated. A pleasant surprise.  I have not been back here in many years. CLT mls shows prices for homes (a few) at 200k$ to 280k$ for existing homes, and more for new homes, reno's 

[KJHburg]

EarthFare is closing their Southpark area store again. 

""Earth Fare will soon close its SouthPark store — again.  The roughly 25,000-square-foot store at 721 Governor Morrison Blvd. is slated to close at the end of September, says Laurie Aker, spokeswoman.  “We’ve faced several challenges at that location, which have affected store traffic and overall operations of the business,” she says. “This was a move to better our future growth.”

Aker says the specialty grocer plans to move those operations to its Ballantyne store at 12235 N. Community House Road.""

Earth Fare to shutter SouthPark store — again - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

[KJHburg]

Cornelius based  plant based Barvecue is now available at Sprouts stores nationwide and I guess that would include the Ballantyne store.

Barvecue plant-based meat now available nationwide, startup says | WRAL TechWire

[KJHburg]

Lowes Food opening another store right near Concord Mills and Highland Creek in Cabarrus County.

They are creeping back around the metro area.  Also next to existing Lidl and across the street down Christenbury from Earth Fare. 

Lowes Foods to anchor Concord's Christenbury Village - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

""The Winston-Salem-based grocer has plans for a 52,000-square-foot store at Christenbury Village. It is at the intersection of Cox Mill Road and Christenbury Parkway, adjacent to the Highland Creek community.""

[LKN704]

I don't know much about the supermarket industry, but I find it fascinating that Charlotte has so many different "traditional" supermarket entities competing against each other; and I am not counting "speciality" supermarkets like TJ/Aldi/Whole Foods...but rather Lowe's Food, Publix, Food Lion, and Harris Teeter. Does Bi-Lo still exist?

DC only really has Safeway (I didn't know they were on the East Coast...I think the DC area is their only East Coast location) and Giant, with Harris Teeter somewhat expending in the city. Other cities are somewhat the same...I've only ever seen a Ralphs or Vons/Albertsons/Safeway (all the same company IIRC) in LA. 

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, LKN704 said:

I don't know much about the supermarket industry, but I find it fascinating that Charlotte has so many different "traditional" supermarket entities competing against each other; and I am not counting "speciality" supermarkets like TJ/Aldi/Whole Foods...but rather Lowe's Food, Publix, Food Lion, and Harris Teeter. Does Bi-Lo still exist?

DC only really has Safeway (I didn't know they were on the East Coast...I think the DC area is their only East Coast location) and Giant, with Harris Teeter somewhat expending in the city. Other cities are somewhat the same...I've only ever seen a Ralphs or Vons/Albertsons/Safeway (all the same company IIRC) in LA. 

BiLo is gone so the majors are Harris Teeter Food Lion Publix, Walmarts and the rest are speciality.  Lowes Food is in the surrounding counties mainly though they are opening in Huntersville and Ingles in the western edge counties.     I live in DC when there was only Giant and Safeway and shoppers food warehouse    Then Food Lion and Teeter entered the market.   DC is higher priced grocery market because of it vs Charlotte with all our competition.   I fully expect Wegmans to enter this market too and open multiple stores. 

[kayman]

4 hours ago, LKN704 said:

I don't know much about the supermarket industry, but I find it fascinating that Charlotte has so many different "traditional" supermarket entities competing against each other; and I am not counting "speciality" supermarkets like TJ/Aldi/Whole Foods...but rather Lowe's Food, Publix, Food Lion, and Harris Teeter. Does Bi-Lo still exist?

DC only really has Safeway (I didn't know they were on the East Coast...I think the DC area is their only East Coast location) and Giant, with Harris Teeter somewhat expending in the city. Other cities are somewhat the same...I've only ever seen a Ralphs or Vons/Albertsons/Safeway (all the same company IIRC) in LA. 

 

3 hours ago, KJHburg said:

BiLo is gone so the majors are Harris Teeter Food Lion Publix, Walmarts and the rest are speciality.  Lowes Food is in the surrounding counties mainly though they are opening in Huntersville and Ingles in the western edge counties.     I live in DC when there was only Giant and Safeway and shoppers food warehouse    Then Food Lion and Teeter entered the market.   DC is higher priced grocery market because of it vs Charlotte with all our competition.   I fully expect Wegmans to enter this market too and open multiple stores. 

Publix will be entering the DC market aka the DMV soon as well. 

Wegmans is going to be entering the Charlotte market in the future.

Apparently, Charlotte is the most competitive grocery market in the nation and a major retail concept trial market.  Raleigh-Durham is the 2nd most competitive.

We're in a great place to be here in Charlotte if you enjoy retail and grocery shopping. 

[tozmervo]

11 hours ago, kayman said:

Publix will be entering the DC market aka the DMV soon as well. 

Wegmans is going to be entering the Charlotte market in the future.

Apparently, Charlotte is the most competitive grocery market in the nation and a major retail concept trial market.  Raleigh-Durham is the 2nd most competitive.

We're in a great place to be here in Charlotte if you enjoy retail and grocery shopping. 

I mean, unless you're in one of the several substantial grocery deserts across Mecklenburg county, most notably West Charlotte between Hwy 16 and West Blvd. Charlotte/Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer (mcmap.org)

[CLT2014]

I don't know if I'd say the Charlotte grocery market is crazy competitive. 70% of all groceries in the broader Charlotte region are bought at either a Walmart owned store, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Publix. More people shop at a Walmart for groceries than the bottom 15 stores in the market combined. Many of the largest grocery stores have carved out niches on clientele as well so they don't "directly" compete. Publix and Walmart don't have the same customers. Publix and Harris Teeter are really the only two direct competitors and you see their stores open in similar neighborhoods / markets. Neither HT or Publix are price leaders and win market share with amenities / add ons. 

The true chaos is among the 15 stores competing for the niche market of specialty items, international food, discount stores, et.... that are going for the remaining 30% of the market. They are fighting to try to move from 1% to 1.5% of the market, et.

Edited October 20, 2021 by CLT2014

[InTheYear2000]

13 hours ago, kayman said:

 

Publix will be entering the DC market aka the DMV soon as well. 

Wegmans is going to be entering the Charlotte market in the future.

Apparently, Charlotte is the most competitive grocery market in the nation and a major retail concept trial market.  Raleigh-Durham is the 2nd most competitive.

We're in a great place to be here in Charlotte if you enjoy retail and grocery shopping. 

HT is already in the DMV(I recently visited a really nice new store in the Navy Yards). Looks like the makings of another Kroger/Publix battle ground. 

Editors note: I'm a Publix homer, I just can't quit them sandwiches. 

[KJHburg]

2 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I mean, unless you're in one of the several substantial grocery deserts across Mecklenburg county, most notably West Charlotte between Hwy 16 and West Blvd. Charlotte/Mecklenburg Quality of Life Explorer (mcmap.org)

But there is a full sized Walmart supercenter there with grocery on Wilkinson and an Aldi on Freedom closer into town.  I realize there are some areas without a lot of choices but Walmart is actually the largest or 2nd largest grocer in the metro area and the city.