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Harris Teeter has closed about as many stores as they have opened in the past few years shifting their customer focus from middle class to the upper class. Prices sky rocket over the competition with almost 75-80 % markups over cost. Also, building stores within 5 miles of each other is a great example of retail cannibalism. Business has evened out at almost all locations, and many have been forced to close where people aren't "rich" enough. Examples could be the Taylorsville, NC store and a Mooresville store. The Independence Boulevard store is one of the only grocery stores in that area. People living near there will now drive to a Food Lion on Wendover, or The BI-LO about 4 miles down Independence. Aside from that, the "home-shopping store at Piper glen is now set to close. Maybe someone that isn't as picky about their customer base will move in.

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I am surprised actually about it. Considering they are building *two* new stores south on Rea Road (Rea at Ardrey Kell and Rea at Tom Short). That would make it 5 Harris Teeter stores on Rea Road if you count the one at Colony/Rea, Piper Glen and Stonecrest. HT loves putting a store within a mile of another in South Charlotte, and especially loves to saturate Rea Road. I think that shopping center has potential for a Lowe's Foods or something coming to that location. I don't know what's gonna happen to HT's former Independence Rd location though.

Also remember there used to be a Food Lion in Touchstone off Bevington, not too far away from piper glen, but that closed a few years back.

HT Piper Glen:

htpiperglen29pq.jpg

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Harris Teeter has closed about as many stores as they have opened in the past few years shifting their customer focus from middle class to the upper class.  Prices sky rocket over the competition with almost 75-80 % markups over cost.  Also, building stores within 5 miles of each other is a great example of retail cannibalism.  Business has evened out at almost all locations, and many have been forced to close where people aren't "rich" enough.  Examples could be the Taylorsville, NC store and a Mooresville store.  The Independence Boulevard store is one of the only grocery stores in that area.  People living near there will now drive to a Food Lion on Wendover, or The BI-LO about 4 miles down Independence.  Aside from that, the "home-shopping store at Piper glen is now set to close.  Maybe someone that isn't as picky about their customer base will move in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So what. If that

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It really depends upon the support of the local population I don't think there is much arrogance to it. For example when Harris Teeter opened their new signature Morrocroft like store at the Pennisula, many predicted their older store down the road closer to Cornelus would be closed. And in fact Harris Teeted did plan to close this store, but at the urging from the many residents who live here who wanted to keep it open they did. And it is still open now more than 6 years later.

So Harris Teeter has a very upscale store and a more middle of the run store right on Exit 28.

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A couple of years ago, Harris Teeter entered the Jacksonville market with three stores. Last year, they shut they're Mandarin store down, which recently reopened as a Publix. However, as far as I know, they plan to continue running the other two stores in upscale Ponte Vedra Beach and Amelia Island areas.

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I'm not saying that they aren't high quality it just seems that their ads are all over the radio and tv, and the community really supports them, when realistically most of the population goes to the Food Lion or Super Wal Mart because the lower middle class is the biggest percentage of people. If you think about it they have only done well in the Charlotte area and in Raleigh/Greensboro. Their DC stores are doing well but there are only about 8, and the Florida stores are still doing OK. But the 42 stores in Mecklenburg county pretty much tell the story that people outside of North Carolina really dont give a crap about HT, but from the way they promote themselves, you'd think they are Publix or Kroger or something. By the way, Kroger and Publix are the best in my opinion. It's too bad Kroger pulled out of the Charlotte/Greensboro areas.

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I personally have never had a problem with Harris Teeter and find they run clean and efficent stores. I do hate Food Lions but that is for a different thread.

I don't think the leaving of the Piper Glen location is a good idea, but the area is already saturated and that is probably not the best performing location. I do wonder what will come in next. A Lowe's Foods would make a killing in that location

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Well...I'm not sure it's fair to say that Food Lion kills them.....Harris Teeter only has 111 stores in NC, compared to the 481 that Food Lion has, yet HT has 13% of the market, while Food Lion has 31%. Food lion has less than 3 times the market share with 4.5 times as many stores.

What is really appaling is that Wal-Mart has 19% of the market with only 63 stores......that's just saddening.....how I hate people.

But you are right in saying that Charlotte is really one of the only markets that HT dominates, since 44 stores of the 111 in the state are here, and roughly only 160 stores nationwide.

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So much for my anti-Teeter campaign, guess everyone in this posting room goes there. Be my guest, spend $40 for 14 out of 16 weeks, and then they can take that $560 and give you a plastic lounge chair made in Taiwan for your troubles. Doesn't anyone else feel annoyed when their employees are so friendly anyway? When five people ask me if I need help in the store within a 10 minute period, I get kind of annoyed and want to tell them to shut up. Maybe it is just me, but I guess people in the south like all that attention.

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For what it's worth, I think that south Charlotte has too many Harris Teeters and it's inevitable that some of those stores, especially older stores, will have to close. That's just business.

Harris Teeter seems to close stores in less than demographically ideal areas. I noticed several stores aquired from Kroger in the Triad have closed, and most of the stores they used to have in poor and rural areas have closed as well.

It's safe to say that Harris Teeter is not for everyone. The upscale nature of the majority of its locations is testament to this. That's their right. If every store was meant ot serve everyone, there would be nothing classier than Family Dollar, because that's the only store I know of that nearly everyone can afford.

If they don't play games witht the lease in Piper Glen, it will turn over to Food Lion or Lowes Foods, and there will still be groceries there, and if not, there's probably no less than five Harris Teeters nearby. :silly:

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When I was growing up in Burlington, I went to Food Lion because it was within walking distance to my house, When I moved to Greensboro and then later to Charlotte and now back to Greensboro, I have always gone to HT for the items that I don't buy from the organic food stores. (Home Economist in Charlotte and Earth Fare in Greensboro). HT is just better than the other stores. It's cleaner, easier to get around in and the employees for the most part are friendly, and yes, i like it when they are friendly.

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This is just like the Target Store expansion. In the Raleigh area just over the last 4 years they have built 5 Supertargets, 1 Target Great land and 2 refular targets with another on the way. Many of the store are like 3 miles if that from another one. It's just away to appeal to your target market. Find that market and saturate it.

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Remember harris teeter is a service oriented grocery store, not a price oriented. You get great service at harris teeter, and great variety of products. I sacrifice service though to shop at wal mart its cheaper. But harris teeter is doing a great job. I beilieve last year they made more money than they ever have before(Ruddick Corporation)

They are planning on opening over 20 stores around the dc, virginia, maryland area. 5 around cary raleigh, plus charlotte too. So right now they are expanding, which could hurt them because they are a small chain and when you get bigger alot of times it hurts service and in stock levels. just my opinion.

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Yes. I give HT lots of credit for running a very clean store with plenty of good help. It has been my experience that waits in line are very minimal and the staff is great. Lowes Foods is probably the closest in HT in being clean and having good help

Bilo and WinnDixie tend to operate very nasty stores in comparison with help that couldn't be less interested in doing their job. No wonder both chains are in trouble. Many times I have walked into either store and smelled rotten seafood at the front door. Yuck

FoodLion is a mixed bag. Generally their stores are cleaner the Bilo & WinnDixie but their help ranges from good to bad.

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I sacrifice service though to shop at wal mart its cheaper.  But harris teeter is doing a great job. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

bite your tongue, man! ;)

[TIRADE]

Personally, I believe walmart's business practices are unethical, and i think society forfeits a great deal by opting for walmart's low prices.

I think for many people, they simply like the idea of low prices, and don't consider the social costs to get those low prices. the government must support many of walmart's employees, because of lack of benefits. walmarts super box stores often contribute to people driving distances to shop, instead of going to a neighborhood store. Walmart also contributes indirectly to trade deficits, bankruptcy of US businesses, and sweatshop labor. Mega-retailers squeeze out small local producers because they order for large blocks of their stores at the same time.

[VENT]

I was at the downtown harris teeter the other day, and heard a couple talking about how "at walmart, we could have gotten this coke for 2.88" (it was priced at 2.99 at that harris teeter). I'm sorry, but if you are so poor that is worth a conversation about saving 11 cents on a box of coke: DRINK WATER.

[/VENT]

I think that unless people are legitimately poor, that they should budget appropriately enough to shop at places that support the local economy as much as possible. Otherwise, local and small businesses don't have much of a chance to survive, and create an interesting city.

[/TIRADE]

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Since this is quickly turning into an anti-Wal-Mart thread (i hope), I just read that Montana has decided to tax large retailers that don't pay a living wage an extra 2%.......hahaha.....make those margins work now Wal-Mart!!!! The effect is to cover the subsidies payed by the state to Wal-Mart employees.

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i'm sure walmart significantly affects the cash flow of rural states like montana.

Since hearing about the new lowes slated for south end, i wonder whether it will ever be possible to require rooftop perking for all big-boxes over a certain size. I think that would go a long way to making big boxes rationalize their business plan in a long term vision. those massive parking lots and rooftops do some serious damage with run-off and urban climate change.

Also, maybe they could tax the stores based on how long they force customers to spend finding stuff. Customers could clock in and out. :) They calculated how much time andproductivity is lost in traffic... what about the productivity lost trying to find your way around a walmart maze, and hiking a mile across the store to find popcorn for the popcorn popper they just put in their cart. They could get a credit back on that for the exercize value of walking that distance, though.

(I'm actually serious about the first suggestion.)

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