Winn Dixie closing Charlotte stores, dstrbtn cntr.

[jb4563]

The CLT Business Journal states that HT is taking the Huntersville and Weddington locations. They are also getting stores in GSO, Burlington, Boone, HP, and Raleigh.

All the other Winn-Dixies (10 in Meck, 7 in York, 5 in Gaston, 1 in Cabarrus, plus a few more) will be closed, without being sold, in August

[DigitalSky]

The CLT Business Journal states that HT is taking the Huntersville and Weddington locations.  They are also getting stores in GSO, Burlington, Boone, HP, and Raleigh.

All the other Winn-Dixies (10 in Meck, 7 in York, 5 in Gaston, 1 in Cabarrus, plus a few more) will be closed, without being sold, in August

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oh dang... closed w/o being sold, that's not good :-(

It figures HT got the Huntersville and Weddington locations... and I had guessed they'd take the Boone location too. I thought Bi-Lo would go for some of those others though... i really hope that they don't turn into sad empty boxes!

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stori...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

there's the link to the story

i really had hoped Food Lion and/or Lowes would have stepped in and bought some stores too - especially if Lowes Foods is trying to expand in the market it would have done them some good to buy stores that are within the city instead of building new stores on the outskirts.

[Gastonite]

oh dang... closed w/o being sold, that's not good :-(

It figures HT got the Huntersville and Weddington locations... and I had guessed they'd take the Boone location too.  I thought Bi-Lo would go for some of those others though... i really hope that they don't turn into sad empty boxes! 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stori...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

there's the link to the story

i really had hoped Food Lion and/or Lowes would have stepped in and bought some stores too - especially if Lowes Foods is trying to expand in the market it would have done them some good to buy stores that are within the city instead of building new stores on the outskirts.

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I know, this doesnt sound too good, but maybe another chain besides a grocery store will use these old stores for something else.

[mediamongrel]

oh dang... closed w/o being sold, that's not good :-(

It figures HT got the Huntersville and Weddington locations... and I had guessed they'd take the Boone location too. I thought Bi-Lo would go for some of those others though... i really hope that they don't turn into sad empty boxes!

Harris Teeter probably wont take the Boone location because they just shut down one of their old Boone stores not long ago...

[SmellyCat]

I know, this doesnt sound too good, but maybe another chain besides a grocery store will use these old stores for something else.

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Unfortunately, because of their non-stellar locations, most of the lesser stores will either sit idle or become a discount store type location, like Family Dollar or Big Lots. And the makeup of the in-line stores will likely follow suit, or vacate altogether, because the in-line tenants usually have escape clauses from their leases if the existing anchor grocer vacates.

[DigitalSky]

It figures HT got the Huntersville and Weddington locations... and I had guessed they'd take the Boone location too.  I thought Bi-Lo would go for some of those others though... i really hope that they don't turn into sad empty boxes! 

Harris Teeter probably wont take the Boone location because they just shut down one of their old Boone stores not long ago...

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That's true, I wonder why they shut down that other Boone location.

Unfortunately, because of their non-stellar locations, most of the lesser stores will either sit idle or become a discount store type location, like Family Dollar or Big Lots.  And the makeup of the in-line stores will likely follow suit, or vacate altogether, because the in-line tenants usually have escape clauses from their leases if the existing anchor grocer vacates.

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Yeah i'm sure a lot of the stores will become Family Dollar, Big Lots, Save A Lot maybe. Some of these stores are in good bustling centers though such as Eastway and McMullen Creek.

[mediamongrel]

I don't know what was up with that other Boone location. HT doesn't do good at all in the NC mountains. It's a whole different clientel and atmosphere in the mountains. Ingles rules once you get west of Shelby. Ingles and Bi-Lo really own the North Carolina mountains. HT tried to gain market share up there, but the people wouldn't pay their prices.

Shut down Harris Teeters in the mountains;

1. Taylorsville

2. Boone (1 location)

3. Greenville/Spartanburg area

4. 1 or 2 in the Tennessee mountains (can't remember exactly)

[DigitalSky]

I don't know what was up with that other Boone location.  HT doesn't do good at all in the NC mountains.  It's a whole different clientel and atmosphere in the mountains.  Ingles rules once you get west of Shelby.  Ingles and Bi-Lo really own the North Carolina mountains.  HT tried to gain market share up there, but the people wouldn't pay their prices. 

Shut down Harris Teeters in the mountains;

1. Taylorsville

2. Boone (1 location)

3. Greenville/Spartanburg area

4. 1 or 2 in the Tennessee mountains (can't remember exactly)

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I dont think HT does as well in smaller towns period... they do well in Charlotte, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Raleigh though

[monsoon]

I wonder if this will change the HT stores to build a store on the other side of I-77 @ Birkdale. That shopping center however is poorly designed and not a good place for a store. It was approved before Huntersville took over zoning in the area.

There are too many HT's. They have become a fungus like Foodlion.

[mediamongrel]

Yea, I think there are way too many, but I understand their strategy. Though, it sort of makes me wonder if they will be around in like 10 years. They really only do good in high population/upscale areas. Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Washington D.C. are their four most profitable areas. Charlotte being their most. If another company makes a deal with Ruddick and buys the Charlotte HT's at some point in the future, that said company could instantly become the leader in the Charlotte grocery market just by buying HT.

[Miesian Corners]

Harris Teeter is doing nothing but protecting market share. I'd rather have a Harris Teeter fungus anyday over a Food Lion one. Of course, you can always kill a Food Lion fungus with bleach.

Ukrop's is the same way in Virginia. They know their market is primarily medium to upper income urban and they stick with it.

I am surprised no one stepped up to the plate for the Eastway Crossing location. The store does great biz and is the best ethnic mainstream supermarket in the city. Most of the other locations are dogs, though.

[DigitalSky]

Here's a map I've created of South Charlotte / Weddington

(i realize i forgot to add Lowes Foods' under construction at Providence & Ballantyne commons)

Here's a map of South Charlotte north of that map

[suburban george3]

Just for an FYI, all that has been announced is Winn Dixie's preferred bidder for these stores. These stores go up for auction at the Bankruptcy court in New York on Monday July 19th @ 10am. Anyone/company could come in and upset all announced bids (Food Lion, WalMart with the Neighborhood Market Format.)

Some chains that have not bid have more than likely decided to hold out until the auction. I would say 1/3 of the stores at least will receive offers. At that point, if the bid did not include assumption of the lease, the bidder must come to terms with the landlord. If that falls thru, the store could still go dark.

As for the Piggly Wiggly talk, most Pig's are owned by individuals and licensed to use the Pig name. I would say they should pick up at least a handful of stores to their footprint, but more likely in rural areas/small towns.

We should have a better idea of the "true" buyers of these locations by Wednesday the 21st.

[DigitalSky]

Just for an FYI, all that has been announced is Winn Dixie's preferred bidder for these stores.

[jb4563]

It is very strange that Bi-Lo is bidding on stores here...I thought they were selling out?

[suburban george3]

Bi-Lo was owned by Ahold, a dutch company that also owned US FoodService and Bruno's(another SE grocery chain.) US FoodService was one of the companies that got into the accounting Fiascos of late which prompted Ahold to put Bi-Lo and Bruno's up for Sale.

An investment company out of Texas now owns the Bi-Lo chain along with Bruno's(The company is called now Bi-Lo LLC.) They intend to divest over 100 stores in "non-core" markets. (like the Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point area.) Those stores are going to turn into a kind of wholesaler owned independant named "Southern Family Markets."

Oh and sorry about the date mix-up, it was 4am I should've been sleeping!!

Harris Teeter and Bi-Lo may not end up with their announced stores. I know that each have locations that others are interested in persuing... it will be a good ol' fashioned bidding war up there at that auction in NYC. All a suitor has to do is bid 5% higher than the current bid to knock an accepted bid out. And also, the auctioneer has NO RULES set up by the court. His charge is to do whatever possible to get more money for Winn Dixie.

[mediamongrel]

It is very strange that Bi-Lo is bidding on stores here...I thought they were selling out?

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Yeah and they bid on one in Charlotte, which is even more strange.

[GSP Tiger]

Bi-Lo originally planned to sell its Greensboro area stores a couple months ago. Instead, they rescinded that idea some recent time ago and will continue to operate those stores as usual. With the fallout of Winn Dixie and Bi-Lo's rebound in the traid, expect a couple new Bi-Lo stores in a few years.

[DigitalSky]

Bi-Lo originally planned to sell its Greensboro area stores a couple months ago.  Instead, they rescinded that idea some recent time ago and will continue to operate those stores as usual.  With the fallout of Winn Dixie and Bi-Lo's rebound in the traid, expect a couple new Bi-Lo stores in a few years.

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that's interesting

[StevenRocks]

I wonder what made Bi-Lo change its mind?

[DigitalSky]

I wonder what made Bi-Lo change its mind?

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i think they saw WD's leaving as oppourtunity to get some of their shoppers

[GSP Tiger]

I'm unsure about Bi-Lo's thinking for placing a bid on the Winn Dixie Marketplace store in Clemson, SC (aka the Greenville, SC area store) when you have a fairly new Bi-Lo across the street. It is possible it could be an investment move to lure another tenant into that space.

The Lake Wylie Winn Dixie Marketplace store is very nice. When it becomes a Bi-Lo, I hope they will reconfigure that enterance/exit system. That is a very disfunctional design whoever thought that up.

[DigitalSky]

heres the latest http://www.winn-dixie.com/company/news/200...ases/071905.asp FOLLOWING AUCTION, WINN-DIXIE REACHES

AGREEMENT TO SELL 102 STORES

[monsoon]

Looks like it is a done deal at least here in Huntersville. Winn Dixie at Northcross is closed and now has Harris Teeter signs taped to the windows while the construction workers rennovate the inside. The amazing thing about this is from that parking lot, you can see the Harris Teeter at Birkdale Commons being built. Harris Teeter is a plague.

[DigitalSky]

^wow... yeah it's the same with HT at Ardrey Kell/Providence and Ballantyne Commons/Providence. Btw, where exactly is Birkdale Commons being built? It's been a while since i've been up that way.. I thought Birkdale Commons was being built closer to the Lake side not the 77 side since i don't see where there is room between there..

Anyway, I saw a commercial on TV today for Winn Dixie's liquidation (sp) and talking about how at some stores everything must go and it is 30-60% off etc

Details here: http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte...tml?jst=b_ln_hl