Charlotte Supermarkets

[15895]

18 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. 

In the DC metropolitan area, there’s a lot. This is 2018 so Harris Teeter, Wegmans (I think 2 stores opened with a few more U/C) expanded a lot and Amazon Fresh has at least 3 grocery stores so far and I think I read several more planned. 

2018 DC MSA:
Giant has 97 stores (20% market)

Safeway 76 stores (10%)

Harris Teeter 42 stores (7%)

Costco 15 stores (5.5%)

Shoppers 25 stores (5%)

Whole Foods 20 stores (4.5%)

Walmart 24 stores (4%)

Target 34 Stores (3.5%)

Trader Joe’s 17 stores (2.5%)

BJ’s 7 stores (1.5%)

Seems like more competitive than Charlotte’s based on the prior posts. On a side note, there are also a lot of Food Lions in the metro area so not sure why they’re not on this list https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2019/02/26/one-grocer-controls-a-fifth-of-the-d-c-regions.html

Food Lion has around 20 grocery stores in the DC metro area. Aldi & Lidl also have around 20 stores each. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by AirNostrumMAD

[tozmervo]

20 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

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.  

It shows up in the QOL survey in the dark blue parcel. There are significant swaths of the area that have zero full grocery stores available to residents without traversing several miles, for example West Boulevard. 

[LKN704]

26 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

In the DC metropolitan area, there’s a lot. This is 2018 so Harris Teeter, Wegmans (I think 2 stores opened with a few more U/C) expanded a lot and Amazon Fresh has at least 3 grocery stores so far and I think I read several more planned. 

2018 DC MSA:
Giant has 97 stores (20% market)

Safeway 76 stores (10%)

Harris Teeter 42 stores (7%)

Costco 15 stores (5.5%)

Shoppers 25 stores (5%)

Whole Foods 20 stores (4.5%)

Walmart 24 stores (4%)

Target 34 Stores (3.5%)

Trader Joe’s 17 stores (2.5%)

BJ’s 7 stores (1.5%)

Seems like more competitive than Charlotte’s based on the prior posts. On a side note, there are also a lot of Food Lions in the metro area so not sure why they’re not on this list https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2019/02/26/one-grocer-controls-a-fifth-of-the-d-c-regions.html

Food Lion has around 20 grocery stores in the DC metro area. Aldi & Lidl also have around 20 stores each. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was only looking at DC proper itself and only looking at traditional supermarkets. There aren't any Publix/Food Lion/Shoppers in the district proper itself. I think there are only 3 or 4 HTs in the city, compared to 10 or so Safeways and 5-6 Giants. Wegmans doesn't have any locations in the district yet either. 

I guess its unfair to compare Charlotte and DC because of the lack of car ownership in DC that I would assume inhibits the likelihood that one "shops around". I am a 2 minute walk to the Soviet Safeway, and I don't have a car, so even if Giant or HT were to be offering free gallons of milk at their locations, I likely wouldn't partake simply because the time for me to get to one on public transit. 

I think a more realistic comparison would be Charlotte and Atlanta IMO.

[KJHburg]

In the above map of west Charlotte showing lack of food stores the same city council is thinking new apartments which would add lots of residents to the area right by the VA Center and right near West Blvd area is a bad idea.  It is a chicken and the egg situation.  You need rooftops before a grocery store will go in the area.  CityPark which has added lots of residential apartments and townhomes and even a few SF homes is nearby.    The map seems to be census tracts but many of those tracts are close to grocery stores including the mentioned large Walmart supercenter on Wilkinson.    The city wants to encourage more grocery stores in those areas cut the red tape and bureaucacy and rezoning requirements.    Lots of rural areas are food deserts too but with the age of online ordering and delivery encourage that at the local libraries which there is a big one on West Blvd.  Help people with that as well.  My mother when she lived alone had her groceries delivered by Food Lion.  Would the city approve a grocery store in that area easily I don't know. 

[kermit]

10 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Would the city approve a grocery store in that area easily I don't know. 

Why wouldn’t they? 

[KJHburg]

3 minutes ago, kermit said:

Why wouldn’t they? 

if something required a rezoning they might not.  I am just saying there is proposal to bring many apartments next to the VA Clinic right off West Blvd and the city council seems to think it is bad idea as it is not a 10 minute community.  Well more rooftops equals more customers for a  grocery store but they seem very reluctant at that site for some reason. 

[KJHburg]

This is interesting and I still believe Wegmans will open multiple stores in the Charlotte region as their new Richmond distribution center is finally underway.

Wegmans to Open Smaller-Format Stores in New Market Areas | Progressive Grocer

My prediction first store Ballantyne 

[jjwilli]

12 hours ago, KJHburg said:

This is interesting and I still believe Wegmans will open multiple stores in the Charlotte region as their new Richmond distribution center is finally underway.

Wegmans to Open Smaller-Format Stores in New Market Areas | Progressive Grocer

My prediction first store Ballantyne 

Come on South End! I think this experimenting does pave the way for the possibility of an urban format store around Center City.

[Cadi40]

Does anybody know why Trader Joe’s only has 3 Charlotte locations? 

[TheRealClayton]

6 hours ago, jjwilli said:

Come on South End! I think this experimenting does pave the way for the possibility of an urban format store around Center City.

The smaller format is still 30K square feet larger than a typical Harris teeter/publix.

[KJHburg]

5 hours ago, Cadi40 said:

Does anybody know why Trader Joe’s only has 3 Charlotte locations? 

I have no idea why there are not more stores.  the metro could use a few more and they are owned by Aldi which is building stores all over.  

[tozmervo]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I have no idea why there are not more stores.  the metro could use a few more and they are owned by Aldi which is building stores all over.  

Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi Nord. Aldi Sud, a different company, operates the Aldi brand in the US. 

[KJHburg]

9 hours ago, tozmervo said:

Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi Nord. Aldi Sud, a different company, operates the Aldi brand in the US. 

vielen Dank! 

[704Dimitri]

Not Charlotte. But Publix has announced a new store in their Westover neighborhood! 

[tozmervo]

10 hours ago, 704Dimitri said:

Not Charlotte. But Publix has announced a new store in their Westover neighborhood! 

(where is the westover neighborhood?)

[kermit]

7 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

(where is the westover neighborhood?)

Greensboro

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/piedmont-triad/new-publix-to-open-in-greensboro/

[InSouthPark]

Apparently the Lidl on Carmel Commons is to open in February according to people who have been interviewed for jobs there.   Driving by and it certainly looks like it is getting close. 

[kayman]

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlottes-historic-west-end-co-op/275-43bb6c91-546a-478a-8765-03ad081f729a

The Historic West End Partners are working to bring a Weaver Street Market to West End thus serious work to removing one of Charlotte's biggest food deserts. 

For those who want to know more about the Weaver Street Market.  It's an employee-owned, hyper-local community cooperative supermarket. 

https://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop/

There are several locations in the Triangle so this location would be the first in Metro Charlotte. 

Edited January 21, 2022 by kayman

[15895]

On 1/17/2022 at 11:07 PM, 704Dimitri said:

Not Charlotte. But Publix has announced a new store in their Westover neighborhood! 

Should be noted it’s a 3 floor grocery store. 

[704Dimitri]

13 hours ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

Should be noted it’s a 3 floor grocery store. 

It will be like the Cotswold Publix, so two stories of parking with the physical store itself being on the third level. It will have the newest store layout, also it will probably include “Pours”, which is something that was introduced in Publix: GreenWise Markets a couple of years back. The company has introduced  them in a couple of actual Publix’s down in Florida last year and they have been a huge success! 

[KJHburg]

Okay since we don't have a convenience store thread I will put this here.  Wawa is coming to NC somewhere!

https://www.wbtv.com/2022/03/11/wawa-looks-open-first-store-north-carolina-by-2024/

I still stand by my prediction Wegmans will announce a store or stores here in Charlotte.  They have one more store to build in Wake County down in Holly Springs and that will make 5 for the Triangle.  

My bets on Wawa would be the Triangle first and maybe along I-95 for the northerners coming down to Florida.   As long as we are talking C stores Bucees will be coming to NC too after their failed location in Orange County with what I heard from a Bucee's manager one in the  Rocky Mount area on I-95.   

Edited March 12, 2022 by KJHburg

[DaveB48]

On 3/11/2022 at 8:56 PM, KJHburg said:

Okay since we don't have a convenience store thread I will put this here.  Wawa is coming to NC somewhere!

https://www.wbtv.com/2022/03/11/wawa-looks-open-first-store-north-carolina-by-2024/

I still stand by my prediction Wegmans will announce a store or stores here in Charlotte.  They have one more store to build in Wake County down in Holly Springs and that will make 5 for the Triangle.  

My bets on Wawa would be the Triangle first and maybe along I-95 for the northerners coming down to Florida.   As long as we are talking C stores Bucees will be coming to NC too after their failed location in Orange County with what I heard from a Bucee's manager one in the  Rocky Mount area on I-95.   

Going to lose my mind the day that Wegmans announces their arrival 

[KJHburg]

9 hours ago, DaveB48 said:

Going to lose my mind the day that Wegmans announces their arrival 

I will be in one of their NC stores today here in Wake County.   They will be here in Charlotte soon enough. 

[videtur quam contuor]

9 hours ago, DaveB48 said:

Going to lose my mind the day that Wegmans announces their arrival 

Welcome Dave and join the fray. (cute couple)

[LKN704]

This is a very unpopular opinion (especially amongst my friends from the NY Western Tier) but I cannot understand the obsession with Wegmans. 

I've been to several in Western NY and in the DC Metro area, and they are nice stores, but frankly I don't find them any different from other regional family/employee-owned grocery store chains that have a large fan base (HEB/Central Market, Publix, Stew Leonards, Meijer, etc).

I've always been under the impression that maybe it is something that you grow up with and have a childhood connection to? A friend of mine says she *absolutely loves* Wegmans *only* because they have a supervised childwatch area like IKEA (which I think has since closed) which I find odd given: 1) she doesn't have kids and 2) is not a child. 

Maybe I am a scrooge, but I frankly could care less about a grocery store's customer service...I don't need every employee that walks by me to say Hello like in Publix, nor do I want the cashier striking up a conversation with me. I also do not like how Wegmans seems to supplement most name brand items with their own in-house brand. I noticed that one location near DC only had their own brand of hummus, no name brands. 

I would take a Publix Greenwise Market over a Wegmans any day...