Food Lion Reopening 23 Renovated VA Stores
Food Lion will take the wraps off its latest store upgrades of 23 stores in 14 towns and cities throughout the greater Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Va., markets on Wednesday, July 31. As revealed this past April, the grocer made a capital investment of $40 million in the stores, which included the remodeling projects, hiring 400 additional associates and donating to local community organizations.
“Food Lion has nourished our neighbors in the greater Charlottesville, Harrisonburg community for 37 years, and we’re excited to bring these improvements to our 23 local stores,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “We’ve created a new grocery shopping experience through the significant investments in our stores, associates and communities. From our expanded variety and product assortment, newly reorganized stores, to a more efficient checkout experience, every change we’ve made will make it easier for our customers to find the quality products they have come to expect from Food Lion. When coupled with our weekly sales and promotions, customers will see that we have made it easier for them to nourish their families with healthy foods on a budget.”
Each store will open to the public at 8 a.m. on July 31, after a 7:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. As part of the festivities, the first 100 customers in line will get a Food Lion reusable grocery bag, a Food Lion branded apron and a $10 gift card, with one shopper receiving a $250 card. Later that day, at 5 p.m., the grocer will give out another round of $10 gift cards to the first 100 customers in all 23 stores.
Changes to the locations include:
- A greater variety and assortment across all departments relevant to customers at each store, including more local produce in the Local Goodness section, a bigger range of craft beers, limited reserve wines, and more local, natural, organic and gluten-free products
- A vast selection of fresh produce and meat backed by Food Lion’s double-your-money-back guarantee, and a larger offering of Nature’s Promise beef, pork, poultry, milk, eggs, bottled water, cereal, coffee and other items
- Walk-in produce coolers designed to keep produce fresher, longer at two stores located in Ruckersville, at 136 Cedar Grove Road, and Charlottesville, at 32 Mill Creek Drive
- Hand-battered chicken and a larger selection of easy and affordable complete meals for families, along with a wider variety of grab-and-go items and fresh pre-sliced deli meats and cheeses
- A more efficient checkout process
Additionally, through its Food Lion Feeds platform, Food Lion is teaming up with Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and its agencies on a $23,000 commitment to improve capacity for local agencies so they can assist more needy local families.
With this latest batch of overhauls, Food Lion now has renovated 80 percent of its store network. Earlier this month, the chain unveiled 92 renovated stores in the greater Myrtle Beach, Florence, Columbia and Charleston, S.C., markets, as well as in Lumberton, N.C.
Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 63,000 associates. Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Royal Ahold Delhaize Group, is No. 4 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
