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Lowes Foods is an American
supermarket A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
chain based in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
. The chain initially grew in the mountains of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and rural areas of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, but, starting in the late 1990s, it expanded in metropolitan areas of North Carolina and
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
.


History


Beginnings

Lowes Foods started in 1954 in
Wilkesboro, North Carolina Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesboro. ...
, with a single store opened by Jim Lowe (former co-owner of what became
Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse Lowe's Companies, Inc. (), often shortened to Lowe's, is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States and Canada. A ...
, and son of its founder). Lowe sold that store to J. C. Faw. Expansion in Wilkesboro and the mountain regions of North Carolina shortly followed."Carolinas FYI: About Lowe's and Lowes," ''The Charlotte Observer'', March 16, 2003.


1980s to 2000s; Company shifts

In 1984, Merchants Distributors, Inc. (MDI), a
wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
distributor of food and non-food items to grocery stores headquartered in
Hickory, North Carolina Hickory is a city located primarily in Catawba County, with formal boundaries extending into Burke and Caldwell counties. The city lies in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the time of the 2020 census, Hickory's population was 43,490. Hickor ...
, bought Lowes Foods. Lowes added 19 more stores between 1986 and 1990. In 1997, MDI parent company Alex Lee Inc. bought Byrd's Food Stores Inc. of
Burlington, North Carolina Burlington is a city in Alamance County, North Carolina, Alamance and Guilford County, North Carolina, Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
, which had 43 stores. Lowes Foods had 56 stores, few in the area served by Byrd's. The Byrd's stores became Lowes Foods stores. In 2000, Delhaize America had to sell 38
Hannaford Hannaford may refer to: People * Alf Hannaford (1890–1969), South Australian inventor and industrialist * Ann Hannaford Lamar (born 1952), American jurist * Charlie Hannaford (footballer) (1896–1970), English footballer * Clive Hannaford (19 ...
stores to satisfy
antitrust Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...
concerns. Lowes Foods bought 12 of these, six (plus one under construction) in the
Research Triangle The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to ...
region and six along the North Carolina coast. In 2007, Lowes Foods opened its first
fuel station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasol ...
at a Hickory, North Carolina, store. As of August 2016, 14 Lowes Foods stores had fuel stations. Lowes Foods offered a five-cent discount per gallon of gas with each $100 spent inside the store (excl. alcohol and gift card purchases) which was redeemable at Lowes Foods fuel stations or any participating
Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...
or
WilcoHess A.T. Williams Oil Co. was a gas station chain based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was started by Arthur Tab Williams Jr. in 1963. In the 21st century it operated in a joint venture as WilcoHess. History Arthur Tab Williams Jr. worked for ...
locations in North and South Carolina. Until October 4, 2009, Lowes Foods used S&H Greenpoints on their store discount card; this was replaced with "Fresh Rewards" on October 5, 2009. Many of Lowes Foods stores also offer ''Lowes Foods to Go'', where shoppers can order groceries online and drive to the store to pick them up. Business and home delivery is available at select locations throughout North and South Carolina.


2010s; Location changes and new concepts

In March 2011, Lowes Foods opened a 'frugal cousin' series of stores called Just $ave. These stores are located all in North Carolina and mainly in rural areas, targeting budget-conscious shoppers. The first location opened was in
Pilot Mountain, North Carolina Pilot Mountain is a town in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2020 census. It is named for the nearby landmark of Pilot Mountain, a distinctive geological formation. It is believed to be the inspiration ...
. In August 2011, Lowes Foods began the Aisle50 program in the Carolinas, intending to expand to other areas and other chains in the future. Deals from aisle50.com will not likely replace
coupons In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be redeemed for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in r ...
, but shoppers will be able to buy certain products for about half their normal prices. On June 1, 2012, the company announced that they were leaving the
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, market by trading ten Charlotte area stores with
Harris Teeter Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc., also known as Harris Teeter Neighborhood Food & Pharmacy, is an American supermarket chain based in Matthews, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte. , the chain operates 261 stores in seven South Atlantic states ...
for six Western North Carolina stores and $26.5 million in cash. By March 2015, Lowes Foods began shifting its store portfolio and had closed five of the six stores it acquired from Harris Teeter as well as stores in
Cary Cary may refer to: Places ;United States * Cary, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area * Cary, Indiana, part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area * Cary, Miami County, Indiana * Cary, Maine * Cary, Mississippi * Cary, North Carolina ...
, Newland, West Jefferson, and
Greenville, North Carolina Greenville is the county seat of and the most populous city in Pitt County, North Carolina, Pitt County, North Carolina, United States; the principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area, Greenville metropolitan area; and th ...
. These closures were announced as part of a comprehensive growth strategy that would include rebranding all existing Lowes Foods stores by 2019 and entering into the
Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...
market in 2016. Lowes Foods plans to add three to five Greenville stores as part of its growth strategy. In 2013, New CEO Tim Lowe had plans to change their experiences in their stores and wanted to invent a new concept for their locations that showed their "Carolina Roots". The development began with in-depth consumer research and a series of overnight workshops designed to get the very best ideas from managers across all facets of the business including all store managers and many from MDI. During these workshops, Lowes Foods created a number of new concepts, including Chicken Kitchen, SausageWorks, Pick & Prep, and the Community In early 2014, Lowes Foods remodeled their location in Clemmons, North Carolina, a suburb of Winston-Salem, North Carolina where the headquarters is located. This was the first location to feature the new concept. There was also a new Pizza and Panini program which would be eventually known as Sammy's.. The company completed most of the rest of the Forsyth County locations including some stores in the Triangle Region of North Carolina . The company would also renovate existing and construct new locations in other regions of North Carolina and South Carolina with the concepts throughout the rest of the decade. These later projects would extend a few more concepts. In August 2016, Lowes Foods announced the closures of two Lowes Foods stores in
North Wilkesboro North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States, approximately 80 miles north of Charlotte. The population was 4,131 at the 2020 US Census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvemen ...
and
Shallotte Shallotte is a town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,675 at the 2010 census. The Shallotte River passes through the town. History Shallotte was incorporated as a town in 1899. A former Hardee's resta ...
, North Carolina, as well as a Just $ave location in
Dobson, North Carolina Dobson is a town in Dobson Township, Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,396. It is the county seat of Surry County. Dobson is the home of the Shelton Vineyards, the largest winery in No ...
. In July 2019, the closures of three stores—two in the
Hickory, North Carolina Hickory is a city located primarily in Catawba County, with formal boundaries extending into Burke and Caldwell counties. The city lies in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the time of the 2020 census, Hickory's population was 43,490. Hickor ...
-area, as well as the
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its y ...
, location on Cipriana Drive, was announced. The closures are part of an overall investment strategy to accelerate growth.


Locations

Lowes Foods, Just $ave, KJ's Market, and corporate-owned IGA Southeast locations are considered "stores". Fuel Centers are part of actual stores and therefore do not count towards total store counts.


References


External links

*
MDI website
{{Supermarkets of the United States Supermarkets of the United States Companies based in North Carolina Companies based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Retail companies established in 1954 1954 establishments in North Carolina Privately held companies based in North Carolina