Lowes Foods Parent Company Closing Several Supermarkets in Carolinas
Alex Lee, parent company of Lowes Foods, is adjusting its store portfolio by closing three stores by the end of August: Lowes Foods at 805 Pine Grove Drive in Wilmington, N.C.; Lowes Foods at 8201 Rowlock Way at Cornerstone Commons in Raleigh, N.C.; and Kj’s Market at 110 U.S. Highway 52 in Moncks Corner, S.C.
“We are working closely with store hosts who work at the three stores slated to close to offer them positions at other stores where possible,” said Tim Lowe, head of retail for Alex Lee and president of Lowes Foods.
The closings are part of Alex Lee’s broader growth strategy to invest in new stores and remodel existing stores. For instance, Lowes Foods is opening a new store in Aiken, S.C., on July 25. The banner also has several other store openings pending: Concord, Kannapolis and Waxhaw, N.C., and Indian Land and Lexington, S.C. Plus, the grocer is making moves outside of the Carolinas as it readies its first store in Georgia, at Marble Hill.
In addition, Alex Lee Retail has renovated two Kj’s Markets in Florence, S.C., during the past year as part of a new brand experience and will renovate Kj’s on Kelley Street in Lake City, S.C. (near Florence), in the coming months.
“Alex Lee Retail is deeply committed to providing an exceptional shopping experience for our guests, and we are excited about the future of Lowes Foods, Kj’s Market and our IGA locations as we continue to invest and build for future growth,” said Lowe.
In addition to the Lowes Foods opening in Aiken and its pending openings, the grocer opened new stores in Winterville, N.C. (Greenville market), earlier this year and in Pittsboro, N.C., in 2023.
Hickory, N.C.-based Alex Lee is the parent company of Merchants Distributors, LLC, which provides full-service wholesale distribution to supermarkets across the southeastern United States, as well as of Lowes Foods and Kj’s Market stores in the Carolinas and Georgia. The company is No. 67 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Lowes a Top Regional.
