Lowe's Market is a regional

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more lim ...

chain, primarily in

West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio. No consensus exists on the boundary betwe ...

and

South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

and throughout

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

. The company also operates stores in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

and

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

. The company's home office is in

Littlefield, Texas Littlefield is a city in and the county seat of Lamb County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,372 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is located in a significant cotton-growing region, northwest of Lubbock, Texas, Lub ...

History

Lowe's Market traces its history to E.M. "Bud" Lowe who sold candy and sundries from the back of a truck in

in the 1940s. In 1964, Bud Lowe opened the first Lowe's Market, a small grocery store, in

Olton, Texas Olton is a city in Lamb County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,215 at the 2010 census. History Olton was first settled in 1900. As the first town in Lamb County, Olton became the county seat in 1908. Olton was incorporated in 1930. ...

. The company began the process of gradual expansion into small and medium-sized towns in Texas and New Mexico. Some of the stores are similar to large convenience stores, between 2,000 sq.ft. to 4,000 sq.ft., however, stocked with fresh meat and produce. Many of the stores are standard supermarket size, 15,000 sq.ft. to 40,000 sq.ft.

Growth and expansion

Many Lowe's Market stores were acquired from other companies such as

Furr's Grocery Furr's (also known as Furr's Cafeteria, Furr's Family Dining, Furr's Fresh Buffet, and Furr's All-You-Can-Eat Marketplace) was a chain of family restaurants in the United States started by Roy Furr. The first location opened in 1946 in Hobbs, N ...

(defunct, many of which were formerly

Safeway Safeway is an American supermarket chain founded by Marion Barton Skaggs in April 1915 in American Falls, Idaho. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and features a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, de ...

stores), Big 8 Foods (many of which were formerly

stores acquired from

by Big 8 Foods), and Super S. Currently , there are 146 Lowe's Market stores open in the chain in Texas, New Mexico,

, and

. After the bankruptcy of Furr's Supermarkets in 2001, Lowe's Market acquired a number of the Furr's properties and converted them into Lowe's Market stores. In April, 2011, Lowe's Market acquired 53 stores owned by

Super S Foods Super may refer to: Computing * SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player * Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages * Super key (keyboard but ...

, a

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

-based chain. In April, 2014, Lowe's Market acquired 7 stores from Nocona-based Market Place."Market Place sells seven locations including Gainesville store", Gainesville Daily Register, April 29, 2014. http://www.gainesvilleregister.com/community/market-place-sells-seven-locations-including-gainesville-store/article_20d0ab44-ce10-5154-8bc2-d058b01a9f93.html In some areas, Lowe's Market stores use the names Lowe's, Shop N Save, Food Jet, Super S, Big 8, Super Save, and Avanza. A significant number of the stores in New Mexico, Texas and Colorado are aimed at the Hispanic grocery market share, particularly the stores using the Avanza, Fiesta, Fiero and Mercado nameplates. However, Hispanic grocery products are commonly stocked in all Lowe's Market stores, since the stores serve a substantial Latino/Hispanic population in all geographic areas of the company's presence. There are two stores in Arizona, in

Window Rock Window Rock ( nv, , ) is a census-designated place that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation, the largest territory in North America of a sovereign Native American nation. The capital lies within the boundaries of the ...

and Ganado. In Colorado, there are stores in Greeley and in the

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

area. In New Mexico, stores are found throughout the state. In Texas, stores are in

west Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio. No consensus exists on the boundary betwe ...

north Texas North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort W ...

, the Panhandle,

central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas surrounding Austin and roughly bordered by San Saba to Bryan and San Marcos to Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part of the Texas Hill Country and corresponds to a p ...

, and

south Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

References

External links

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{{Supermarkets of the United States Supermarkets of the United States Retail companies established in 1964 1964 establishments in Texas