Delhaize Converting 15 Stores

Delhaize America is changing 15 of its Bloom bannered stores in the Charlotte, N.C., and Greenville, S.C., areas into Food Lion stores. The Salisbury, N.C.-based company, a subsidiary of the Belgian retail conglomerate Delhaize Group, additionally plans to close a Bloom location on Holland Road in Mauldin, S.C., by the end of next month.

“We appreciate the loyalty of our Bloom guests; however, we are confident our Food Lion banner will best meet the needs of our customers at these locations,” noted Bloom VP Tammy DeBoer. “Our stores will remain open as we transition into Food Lion stores as quickly as possible.”

According to Delhaize, it decided on the conversions and closure after exhaustive analysis and careful consideration as to how shoppers in both markets would be affected by the changes.

Bloom will henceforth focus on the southeast Virginia and Washington markets, where initiatives have been launched to reinforce the brand and position it for continued success. Food Lion, meanwhile, has improved its customer offering and execution through such strategies as value pricing and newly introduced private brand items.

Using the tagline “A different kind of grocery store,” Bloom offers such amenities as a unique layout designed to make shopping easier, no-wait checkout, personal scanners for customers, and interactive kiosks.

Operating under the Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Food Lion, Harveys, Hannaford, Reid’s and Sweetbay Supermarket banners, Delhaize America has more than 1,600 stores in 16 states in the eastern United States. The company employs about 102,000 full-time and part-time associates.