Lowes Foods Readies 5 New Locations Across the Carolinas

Pittsboro, N.C., store set to open later this year

1/11/2023

Lowes Foods has five new stores in the pipeline, each of which is in a different stage of planning or construction.

Lowes Foods is expanding its footprint in the Carolinas over the next several years with the addition of five new locations. The Winston Salem, N.C.-based grocer will open a store in Pittsboro, N.C., later this year, with other locations to follow in Concord and Kannapolis, N.C., and Aiken and Indian Land, S.C.

According to the retailer, the Concord site is located at the intersection of Christenbury Parkway and Cox Mill Road and the Kannapolis site is at the intersection of Kannapolis Parkway and Rogers Lake Road. In South Carolina, meanwhile, the Aiken store will be located at the intersection of Whiskey Road and Powerhouse Road Southeast, and in Indian Land along Highway 521 at Possum Hollow Road.

“We’re excited to be building additional Lowes Foods stores to serve the booming growth areas around Charlotte and northeast of Augusta, Georgia,” said Tim Lowe, head of retail for Alex Lee, Inc. and president at Lowes Foods. “All five of our new stores are in various stages of planning and construction, and we look forward to sharing opening timelines and plans in coming months.”

Last year, Lowes Foods opened a concept store in Huntersville, N.C., which uses a smaller footprint than its traditional stores. The location measures 25,000 square feet but provides a number of special features not typically found in Lowes Foods stores, including a food hall-type environment and a community meeting space.

Tim Lowe spoke during the Grocery Leaders Executive Forum at last November’s Grocery Industry Week, sharing the ways in which his retail business has redefined itself and simultaneously given shoppers what they want and need. He shared several examples of ways in which Lowes transformed its model to become an entertainment company that creates food experiences.

Ultimately, Lowe said, by devising entertainment experiences that provide consumers with an “epic foodventure,” retailers can give people what they want and crave. “Consumers are saying now that experiential elements are more important than they have ever been before,” Lowe said, adding, “My challenge to you is to remember the chicken [in reference to Lowes' popular chicken offerings] and go to places where others refuse to go.”

A wholly owned subsidiary of Hickory, N.C.-based Alex Lee Inc., Lowes Foods LLC employs approximately 9,000 people and operates more than 80 full-service supermarkets in the Carolinas. The company is No. 65 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Lowes as a Top Regional for 2023.