Will Publix ever come to Charlotte?

[otherstream]

Bi-Lo has failed twice in the Charlotte market. (they completely pulled out of the market in the early 80s)

And Kroger has failed once in the CLT market. Closed all their newly built stores in the early 90's (maybe late 80s) I would think they might be hesitant to come back

I would not mind HT being taken over by Publix however. It is a better grocery store IMO.

Just for accuracy's sake (after all, this subject is my specialty), Bi-Lo's first exit from Charlotte was related to a store swap wwith Kroger in 1988. Kroger took over all of Bi-Lo's small, old, dumpy stores and briefly rebranded them as Kroger stores. A few months later, Kroger sold its entire Charlotte operation to (guess who?) Bi-Lo. Needless to say, the older stores were then closed. You have to think there was a master plan involved, but if there was, it was never revealed...

This does lend some credence to the assertion that the two chains have similar demographics, though. But I agree that we're not very likely to see Kroger (or Publix, for that matter) hit Charlotte. Kroger seems to have all but given up on most of the Carolinas, and I can't imagine Publix coming in through any means other than acquisition, which seems unlikely...

[monsoon]

Just for accuracy's sake (after all, this subject is my specialty), Bi-Lo's first exit from Charlotte was related to a store swap wwith Kroger in 1988. Kroger took over all of Bi-Lo's small, old, dumpy stores and briefly rebranded them as Kroger stores.

I actually don't remember this part. The Bilo's simply closed and became empty boxes. I don't remember any of them being converted to Krogers.

[NCMike1981]

Is the Triangle the only area of the Carolinas with Krogers?

[monsoon]

Is the Triangle the only area of the Carolinas with Krogers?

No. They are in Myrtle Beach.

[DigitalSky]

And Columbia has them too

[otherstream]

I actually don't remember this part. The Bilo's simply closed and became empty boxes. I don't remember any of them being converted to Krogers.

It's true. This one I remember firsthand. The Freedom Drive Bi-Lo next to Kmart was one of the ones involved. I have an Observer article on the "big switch" somewhere which I'll try to find. It would have been easy to forget or not notice; the old Bi-Lo stores were only rebranded for a few months before closing.

And Columbia has them too

Kroger has operations scattered all around SC, but the telling thing is that they're not really expanding to any appreciable degree. Columbia is a good example: Kroger has about one newer store and three or four that are twenty-plus years old (and look it). Publix, a newcomer to the market, already has twice as many stores as Kroger, all of them big and new.

Kroger seems to be doing more or less OK in the Triangle, though.

[monsoon]

It's true. This one I remember firsthand. The Freedom Drive Bi-Lo next to Kmart was one of the ones involved.

I believe that BiLo store just closed as did the others that were connected to Kmarts. It would not have made sense for Kroger to have purchased this store because it was too small and they had a brand new Kroger SaveOn just a few blocks down the road next to the Freedom Mall.

[otherstream]

I believe that BiLo store just closed as did the others that were connected to Kmarts. It would not have made sense for Kroger to have purchased this store because it was too small and they had a brand new Kroger SaveOn just a few blocks down the road next to the Freedom Mall.

It definitely didn't make sense; that's why it was such an odd and suspicious-looking deal. Kroger got the stores as a package deal where they acquired ALL of Bi-Lo's Charlotte stores and then closed them. Essentially, Kroger bought out the competition, shut it all down, and then sold their own operation back to the very same competitor a few months later. Note the timing:

Charlotte Observer, 21 April 1988:

KROGER BUYS 5 BI-LO STORES IN CHARLOTTE, MONROE

Kroger Sav-On has acquired five Bi-Lo grocery stores in Charlotte and Monroe, while selling two of its stores in Rock Hill and Anderson, S.C., to Bi-Lo, company officials said. The swap marks Maudlin, S.C.-based Bi-Lo's departure from Charlotte, while increasing Kroger's presence to 11 stores in Charlotte. Further details of the transaction were not disclosed. The change will occur by May 2. The move is likely to boost Kroger's market share to rank with the Charlotte...

Charlotte Observer, 29 December 1988:

BI-LO WON'T REOPEN 4 KROGER STORES

Bi-Lo, which agreed in October to buy 20 Kroger stores in the Charlotte and Charleston areas for $34 million, will not reopen four of Kroger's 15 Charlotte-area stores. President Marshall Collins said Mauldin, S.C.-based Bi-Lo will close the former Kroger stores at 9517 Albemarle Rd., 4101 N. Tryon St., 2645 Freedom Dr. and 1250 W. Roosevelt Blvd. in Monroe. Those stores, along with the 2301 Westinghouse Blvd. store, were purchased in April from Bi-Lo.

[monsoon]

But I don't think any of the smaller stores opened as Krogers during that short period including the one on Freedom. And some of the Bilo stores were already closed before this happened. But thanks for looking that up.

[DigitalSky]

Here are some pics i found pertaining to this topic

The Big K-Mart on Freedom, what is today

The Shiny Wholesale store next to the K-Mart, was this where the Kroger was first?

Bi-Lo, near Freedom Mall, which i'm assuming was the Kroger SavOn store. (I really find the architecture of this store intriguing)

Bi-Lo, their newest (current) store, on Ashley Road

[otherstream]

The Shiny Wholesale store next to the K-Mart, was this where the Kroger was first?

The store above was originally Bi-Lo (late 1970s to 1988). When Kroger bought all the Bi-Lo stores in Charlotte in April 1988, this store briefly became a Kroger in addition to the one down the street which had already been open for about ten years. It closed in November 1988 when Bi-Lo turned around and purchased all the Kroger stores in Charlotte (including the stores like this one, which they'd just sold a few months earlier).

It seemed apparent even at the time that Kroger never planned to do much with these stores. If I remember correctly, they even used discarded/recycled signs from other locations. I vaguely remember that the Freedom Drive store's temporary rebranding used 1970s signage which had been discontinued in new stores even before Kroger came to Charlotte in the first place.

Bi-Lo, near Freedom Mall, which i'm assuming was the Kroger SavOn store. (I really find the architecture of this store intriguing)

This one was originally a Kroger Sav-on (also opened late 1970s). It became the one and only Bi-Lo on Freedom in November 1988; the former Bi-Lo/Kroger by Kmart closed at this same time.

It was rather confusing even at the time; apparently, there were also some swaps in Columbia and Rock Hill at about the same time. My theory is that it was related to a leveraged buyout attempt against Kroger at about the same time. Essentially, Kroger bought out its competition, with plans to eventually close the redundant stores down, but then they ran into cashflow problems due to the LBO, so they sold off Charlotte. Bi-Lo used this as a chance to re-enter the market with nicer stores than they'd had before.

Sorry for the bad case of topic drift here...

[monsoon]

Well at least on Freedom Drive here is what I remember.

This is the store next to the defunct Freedom Mall. The Freedom Mall along with this store, which was built as a Kroger Save On, opened in 1977 or so.

This is the current view of a former Kmart and Bilo strip mall that opened next to the Freedom Village Shopping center. (this is a couple of miles from the Freedom Mall) It opened much earlier, most likely in the early 60s/late 50s. This was one of the original Kmart shopping centers. The Bilo that was there was one of the stores that had the cows on top of the building. (the cows are long gone) It may have been briefly operated as a Kroger, but it was closed in 1988 along with all the other Bilos with the Cows in Charlotte.

[otherstream]

This was one of the original Kmart shopping centers. The Bilo that was there was one of the stores that had the cows on top of the building. (the cows are long gone) It may have been briefly operated as a Kroger, but it was closed in 1988 along with all the other Bilos with the Cows in Charlotte.

My guess is that the grocery store was originally an attached Kmart Foods. That's how most of the Kmart stores were configured until 1973 or so. These stores were generally contracted out and run by a different wholesaler or retailer. When Kmart gave up on groceries in the mid-1970s, other chains often took over the grocery sections. The one on Independence, for example, became a Food Lion, as did two of them in Greensboro. Bi-Lo probably took over this one about the same time; three of their earliest stores in Charlotte were Kmart-adjacent, all opened between 1975 and 1980.

That's cool about the cows. Didn't know about that...

[Lexy]

They have indicated that they plan to keep moving up this way. It might be a while before they start building though.

I think Publix can hold its own against Harris Teeter and certainly against Food Lion, etc. The "new" Publix carries good very similar to those found in HT, but their prices are much lower. Publix's predatory growth in Metro Atlanta caused HT to flee the area. They're very agressive when they enter a market.

Yes they are aggresive. I work for Publix here in Nashville and they are planning 30 more stores in this metro alone in the next few years. There are currently three stores under construction in Nashville as we speak and a fourth will open week after next on the west side of town.

Charlotte would be a good fit for Publix. Look for them to get up there in the future, but right now the focus is on the Middle Tennesse Market and its fight against Kroger and Bi-Lo. Rapid expansion is not out of the question in your alls area though. kepp an eye out for it.

[DigitalSky]

My guess is that the grocery store was originally an attached Kmart Foods. That's how most of the Kmart stores were configured until 1973 or so. These stores were generally contracted out and run by a different wholesaler or retailer. When Kmart gave up on groceries in the mid-1970s, other chains often took over the grocery sections. The one on Independence, for example, became a Food Lion, as did two of them in Greensboro. Bi-Lo probably took over this one about the same time; three of their earliest stores in Charlotte were Kmart-adjacent, all opened between 1975 and 1980.

That's cool about the cows. Didn't know about that...

I think you're right about Kmart Foods.. Take a look at most of the original Kmarts in Charlotte (Freedom is the only original still open, then there's N Tryon, S Blvd, Park Rd, Independence and Matthews)... and most of these had the store on the side that did become a grocery or something else so i guess it's plausible that they could have been Kmart Foods.

Yes they are aggresive. I work for Publix here in Nashville and they are planning 30 more stores in this metro alone in the next few years. There are currently three stores under construction in Nashville as we speak and a fourth will open week after next on the west side of town.

Charlotte would be a good fit for Publix. Look for them to get up there in the future, but right now the focus is on the Middle Tennesse Market and its fight against Kroger and Bi-Lo. Rapid expansion is not out of the question in your alls area though. kepp an eye out for it.

So are you saying Publix will be here as taking over Harris Teeter, or just coming as another supermarket to the market?

[otherstream]

So are you saying Publix will be here as taking over Harris Teeter, or just coming as another supermarket to the market?

Actually, I have my doubts they'll be here at all, but if they do come, it will probably be through the purchase of another chain (or at least another chain's Charlotte locations). With all the problems in the industry right now, the mid-to-high end in Charlotte is just too competitive for them to come in "cold"...

But that's just an opinion...

[DigitalSky]

Yeah it would be hard to come in "cold"... but then again, Lowes Foods did it

[StevenRocks]

This is the store next to the defunct Freedom Mall. The Freedom Mall along with this store, which was built as a Kroger Save On, opened in 1977 or so.

Definately an old Kroger/Sav-On. There's a site that shows dozens of old Kroger stores and several operating stores in Ohio still look like that Bi-Lo.

http://tch546.tripod.com/smkt/kroco.html

This is the current view of a former Kmart and Bilo strip mall that opened next to the Freedom Village Shopping center. (this is a couple of miles from the Freedom Mall) It opened much earlier, most likely in the early 60s/late 50s. This was one of the original Kmart shopping centers. The Bilo that was there was one of the stores that had the cows on top of the building. (the cows are long gone) It may have been briefly operated as a Kroger, but it was closed in 1988 along with all the other Bilos with the Cows in Charlotte.

Look at the cash advance place on the end. That's the way the rest of the canopy running in front of the shopping center looked before the Kmart modernization in the early '90s.

[otherstream]

Yeah it would be hard to come in "cold"... but then again, Lowes Foods did it

That's the main reason I think it's too competitive for Publix to try it now...

[DigitalSky]

Definately an old Kroger/Sav-On. There's a site that shows dozens of old Kroger stores and several operating stores in Ohio still look like that Bi-Lo.

http://tch546.tripod.com/smkt/kroco.html

Look at the cash advance place on the end. That's the way the rest of the canopy running in front of the shopping center looked before the Kmart modernization in the early '90s.

Yeah wow that's a great site. The old Bi-Lo/Kroger SavOn does look exactly like this Kroger SavOn

That's the main reason I think it's too competitive for Publix to try it now...

Yup

[Lexy]

Actually, I have my doubts they'll be here at all, but if they do come, it will probably be through the purchase of another chain (or at least another chain's Charlotte locations). With all the problems in the industry right now, the mid-to-high end in Charlotte is just too competitive for them to come in "cold"...

But that's just an opinion...

No they seriously are going to come at some point. They are just very deliberate in the time frame they have to expand over the southeast. They have a D.C. in Atlanta so logistics isn't an issue for them. Believe me though, they are in South Carolina, the next place to go is up (North Carolina).

They will not buy out Harris Teeter, but rather move in on their own. Although it is not totally out of the question about Harris Teeter deal. I honestly don't know, but whatever way they do it will be neat to see.

[monsoon]

Yeah it would be hard to come in "cold"... but then again, Lowes Foods did it

Actually Lowes Foods has been in Western NC for more than 50 years and there was a Lowes store in Cornelus for at least 3 decades. They are not exactly a newcomer to Mecklenburg county.

While they are now based in Winston-Salem, they began in N. Wilkesboro by people that interestingly enough, had ties to the people that started Lowes Home Improvement store.

[DigitalSky]

Really, I had no idea Lowes Foods was in Cornelius for at least 3 decades. Where was the store located (i assume that it's not the Sam Furr Rd store)

[NCMike1981]

The BiLo near Freedom Mall reminds me of an old mall anchor store in that picture. Maybe it's just the way the building sticks out and it's boxiness....

[monsoon]

Really, I had no idea Lowes Foods was in Cornelius for at least 3 decades. Where was the store located (i assume that it's not the Sam Furr Rd store)

It was located at the intersection of Catawba Ave and Hwy 115. The building is still there, but it was vacated when they built the store you mentioned. For years they were known as Lowes Foods & Thrify Marts. They used to place ads on Charlotte television because the signals go up to the mountains where many Lowes stores are located.