Thursday, March 29, 2012

Food Lion expanding new pricing, brand strategy

Salisbury-based Food Lion is launching a new "brand strategy" in 268 of its stores, as the grocer attempts to restore some of its shine following last year's closure of more than 100 under-performing stores.

None of the stores receiving the new strategy are in Charlotte, though some are in North Carolina. Food Lion says they expect to roll out the new strategy to a further 600 or so stores by the end of 2012.

The new strategy involves cutting prices on about 6,000 popular items, improving the fresh produce section and rearranging stores to make them more convenient to shop. Food Lion had tested the strategy in Raleigh, Fayetteville and Chattanooga, and the company said it saw sales increases at those stores.

Food Lion is owned by Belgian mega-grocer Delhaize. The company also owns and operates supermarkets such as Bottom Dollar, Harveys, and formerly, Bloom. Delhaize has been experimenting with its different formats, trying to find a working combination. It recently closed all Bloom stores and announced plans to expand Bottom Dollar (similar to Aldi) in the northeast.

Here's a list of all the Food Lion stores where the new strategy is being implemented. And here's a blog post from January with some more details about Food Lion's store closures and the grocer's recent woes.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lot of these stores that are listed are most likely getting beaten up by Wal-Mart.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the store in Waxhaw could try something new - like cleanliness and employees without excessive body piercings...

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry but Food Dog is still at the bottom of the food chain as far as grocery stores go. Their commercials with their President are even dumber. My son asked me which Harris Teeter they filmed them in because you never see a Food Lion that looks even close to the one in the commercial. It doesn't matter how cheap the food is if there isn't anybody in the store to help you out when they don't have something on the shelf (ie. CUSTOMER SERVICE).

Anonymous said...

So, in other words, Food Lion will still continue to price gouge Charlotte consumers, while some areas will benefit from 6000 lower prices. And don't even believe that, unless someone does a valid price comparison between the two. Delhaize is known to play pricing games, even between two Food Lion stores located only a few miles from each other.

Anonymous said...

I really hope the new strategy works for Food Lion! I used to be an avid shopper at their stores until they increased their prices so much on many of their everyday items, I was forced to shop elsewhere. Good luck! I'm rooting for you! :)

upupup said...

Why not all the stores low the prices.denver nc stores are high as hell i don't shop there anymore.

Garth Vader said...

Can they please bring back Deitz & Watson and dump Boar's Head!!!

Deitz & Watson London Broil is amazing and we can get Boar's Head @ Harris Teeter if we want it.

No point in going to Food Lion if they have the same stuff as HT.

Anonymous said...

It's the same "strategy" they tried to implement previously. Clean up the stores, lower the prices, better produce and meat, blah, blah blah. To win the supermarket battle you have to be better than just price. FL offers no differentiation at all.

Anonymous said...

Food Lion will have to do a complete overhaul. Clean up your stores and hire cashiers who are not eating cherries and then picking their teeth with their dirty fingernails as they ring you up!

Anonymous said...

Until they start doubling coupons, I'm not stepping foot in one.

Anonymous said...

Until they double coupons they can forget about me stopping by. And their prices better be competitive.

Anonymous said...

They are not snowing anyone. All their CEO does is talk about the work they have done to their stores, yet they won't double coupons, or triple coupons like the Harris Teeter here or Lowe's Foods and until they do I agree with

Anonymous said...

Get competitive with the coupon's and your prices. Grocery stores have a very small profit which they could make if they would double and triple coupons like everyone else in town.

Anonymous said...

I won't shop there... Customer service is ALWAYS rude, lines are always long, and the prices are generally not worth it. Can honestly get just as good or better deal at HT with a better shopping experience. The only thing FL has going for it is real estate, its convenient and in almost every city/town in North Carolina. Here's hoping someone better scoops them up.

Anonymous said...

Useally can get just as good or better deals at teeter with twice the customer service and much cleaner store, and better produce and meats.