Harris Teeter

[mediamongrel]

That's sad. Really sad because the Eastland Harris Teeter is the third-oldest Harris Teeter still in operation in the city. (i believe, after Plaza and Cotswold) 31 years is a long time for a grocery store.

Yes surprisingly it is an old one that is still in operation. It is also one of the last stand alone HTs in existence (if not the only one). Stand alone meaning it is not connected to a shopping center.

Keep your eyes open in the next couple weeks as to the fate of Eastland and other HTs. I will be overseas until mid March and will probably not be posting.

[DigitalSky]

The other one on Central Avenue is stand-alone.

[otherstream]

The other one on Central Avenue is stand-alone.

Interestingly, that one (Central @ The Plaza) did have a separate drug store attached (Rite-Aid or Revco as I remember) in one of its layout configurations over the years. It was in the front part of the building, closest to Central Avenue. I think it became part of the HT around 1996-1997, but I'm not sure.

[DigitalSky]

Oh interesting! What's sad is that I haven't been inside either of the Central Avenue Harris Teeter stores in years.

[Ryepow]

update quickly...Margaret Wallace opening pushed back to June because of a failed permit inspection on the road in front of the plaza. not sure of the details.

That is surprising and disappointing. I went by there last night and it's all lit up including the sign on the front as if it's ready to open. Both Idlewild and Margaret Wallace are being paved with an extra lane in front of the complex. It looks like it needs one more layer of asphalt to make it even with the road. The sidewalks are all done now too. It's just doesn't seem like much more to do for it to take almost another four months to complete. They sure are taking their time with it since it was scheduled to be open back in January.

The thing I wonder about is that ugly carpet store right on the corner. It's so out of place with the new lanes. I can see someone at night turning right into the place. Maybe that's the reason it failed the permit inspection and is taking so long to complete this project. Perhaps they have to knock this building down still to make the intersection safer? Right now, the carpet store is completely surrounded with either a retaining wall from the Harris Teeter parking lot or a new lane.

[mediamongrel]

That is surprising and disappointing. I went by there last night and it's all lit up including the sign on the front as if it's ready to open. Both Idlewild and Margaret Wallace are being paved with an extra lane in front of the complex. It looks like it needs one more layer of asphalt to make it even with the road. The sidewalks are all done now too. It's just doesn't seem like much more to do for it to take almost another four months to complete. They sure are taking their time with it since it was scheduled to be open back in January.

The thing I wonder about is that ugly carpet store right on the corner. It's so out of place with the new lanes. I can see someone at night turning right into the place. Maybe that's the reason it failed the permit inspection and is taking so long to complete this project. Perhaps they have to knock this building down still to make the intersection safer? Right now, the carpet store is completely surrounded with either a retaining wall from the Harris Teeter parking lot or a new lane.

Not quite sure about the carpet store because I haven't actually been up that way to observe the Margaret Wallace store. Looks like Margaret Wallace is still pushed back to late June, and it has apparently been confirmed that Eastland will now close either one or two weeks before the Margaret Wallace store opens.

[DigitalSky]

Eastland will now close either one or two weeks before the Margaret Wallace store opens.

That's sad. I'm glad I had a chance to see the store before it closes. What do you mean "apparently confirmed"

[mediamongrel]

That's sad. I'm glad I had a chance to see the store before it closes. What do you mean "apparently confirmed"

I am parsing words as to protect my confidentiality in the unlikely event HT announced the closure before me.

[DigitalSky]

This was in the News & Record, kind of humorous

I live in northwest Greensboro, which is zoned

[mediamongrel]

This was in the News & Record, kind of humorous

http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...EC0104/60317005

Yes, that was really funny...I know where the Toys 'R Us is that he is talking about as well. People park in the Toys 'R Us parking lot and then walk to the adult bookstore as to fool people into thinking they are actually buying toys rather than porn. A nice way to complete your Saturday is to buy your child an Xbox game then say, "I'll be back in a minute son," while you dart across the parking lot to see what discount 2 for 1 porn videos they have on sale that day.

[DigitalSky]

So is there any chance at all the HT Eastland will stay open after the Mintworth one opens?

[mediamongrel]

So is there any chance at all the HT Eastland will stay open after the Mintworth one opens?

Not for any extended period of time. I should probably take a ride over and check it out myself before the end of June. Chances are it will become a Compare Foods like the HT on Independence did.

[DigitalSky]

I'm thinking it'll probably be a Compare Foods too.. i'm sure HT has some deal with them for the old store. Did you know the Food Lion down Sharon Amity closed though? And the old Winn Dixie which is a Compare Foods on Milton Road isn't that far either.

[mediamongrel]

I'm thinking it'll probably be a Compare Foods too.. i'm sure HT has some deal with them for the old store. Did you know the Food Lion down Sharon Amity closed though? And the old Winn Dixie which is a Compare Foods on Milton Road isn't that far either.

You'll have to refresh me on that area. Where's the old Food Lion on Sharon Amity?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I'm thinking it'll probably be a Compare Foods too.. i'm sure HT has some deal with them for the old store. Did you know the Food Lion down Sharon Amity closed though? And the old Winn Dixie which is a Compare Foods on Milton Road isn't that far either.

I saw one of those (Compare Foods) for the first time a few days ago. Where do they rank on grocery store hierarcy? Are they like Food Lion?

[mediamongrel]

I'm thinking it'll probably be a Compare Foods too.. i'm sure HT has some deal with them for the old store. Did you know the Food Lion down Sharon Amity closed though? And the old Winn Dixie which is a Compare Foods on Milton Road isn't that far either.

Oh, and speaking of compare foods, from the figures I am hearing, it seems that the Compare Foods is doing almost TWICE the business that the old HT used to do in that location. Like I have said before probably 75-80% of the people in Charlotte can't afford HT's prices. It's the other 20% that keep HT in business. They should change their slogan to "Your upper middle class neighborhood food market."

[DigitalSky]

I saw one of those (Compare Foods) for the first time a few days ago. Where do they rank on grocery store hierarcy? Are they like Food Lion?

Somewhat like Food Lion, with an emphesis on selling international (primairly latino and asian) foods http://www.comparesupermarkets.com

Oh, and speaking of compare foods, from the figures I am hearing, it seems that the Compare Foods is doing almost TWICE the business that the old HT used to do in that location. Like I have said before probably 75-80% of the people in Charlotte can't afford HT's prices. It's the other 20% that keep HT in business. They should change their slogan to "Your upper middle class neighborhood food market."

Not surprising how well Compare is doing in their Independence Blvd location

---

By the way MediaMongrel, how are the Harris Teeters in Monroe and Sun Valley doing?

[mediamongrel]

By the way MediaMongrel, how are the Harris Teeters in Monroe and Sun Valley doing?

The west side of Independence Boulevard (south of 485) is primarily served by a BI-LO, a Food Lion, and the Harris Teeter at Wesley Chapel. The more "affluent" community live closer to Wesley Chapel than they do to the Monroe Harris Teeter. The Monroe HT is still "hanging in there" but the plaza is a joke. Even the Eckerd left a couple years back. The people in Monroe frequent that Super Wal Mart a lot more often than the HT. As for Sun Valley, they still are struggling to meet their once lofty expectations, only bringing in about 270k of business weekly. It will take a good 5-10 years before the population of that area grows enough to where that store does a respectable 400k.

[Jettanout]

As a marketing graduate, I say if the market can support multiple stores, give the customer multiple stores.

I happen to like Harris Teeter and with my VIC card, many items are the same price or less expensive than other super markets. Then again, I don't mind paying a little more for quality, convenience, and cleanliness that Harris Teeter's offer.

Also, I think there are so many Harris Teeters in Mecklenburg County because they're headquartered in Matthews.

[DigitalSky]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/14210388.htm

Harris Teeter is coming to this "urban village" in Davidson. So they finally got to get into the town limits. They are reconstructing Griffith Street. I have to agree with monsoon though, HT is becoming a "plague" around the lake area..

[monsoon]

Speaking of that, I was going to honor my neighbor's boycott of the Harris Teeter at Regency Village, but in a weak moment, I succumbed to the dark side and went in this store.

On the outside it is standard run of the mill strip mall construction these days, but the store is quite nice on the inside and very upscale. I would say it is more upscale than the one down the road at the Pennisula. However the store is incredibly expensive. I would say the much of the contents of this store can be had at Walmart for 40% less.

It's interesting in that they are trying out a new checkout system. They are using smaller metal shopping carts instead of those nasty plastic things that have shown up at other Harris Teeters. These carts fit into a "slot" on the checkout. There is no conveyer belt and instead there is a rotating platform where the groceries get bagged. This rotation platform used to be in older stores like Park & Shop and Colonial. The shopping cart is a designed pioneeered by Food Town (aka FoodLion) back when they were still innovative. Harris Teeter has apparently combined ideas from two other Charlotte area based stores for their new checkout system.

The boycott must be working however as the store was surprisingly empty even though this was Friday afternoon at 6:30pm. It almost looked as if there was more staff in there than customers. People are infuriated by the changes the NCDOT made to Hwy 73 to accomidate Harris Teeter. There are backups on 73 in both directions because of it.

The Lowes Foods down the street was packed in comparison.

[DigitalSky]

Those plastic carts came and disappeared so quickly. For the record, I prefer the Harris Teeter types at Morrocroft, The Peninsula and The Arboretum. Those are my favorite kinds. The newer kind seem overly bright (lol) and just too massive in a sense. They keep the celings lower at the Morrocroft store for the edges of the store, and in the center it has the higher celing. Interesting to see that boycott is working...

[StevenRocks]

I haven't been in any new Harris Teeter stores in years.

[mediamongrel]

I haven't been in any new Harris Teeter stores in years.

The old style Harris Teeter (or any grocery store for that matter) are my favorite. You can tell the old stores because they all still have the Produce departments in the back of the stores. I think that all grocery chains (sans Food Lion and some Bi-Lo stores) try to overwhelm the customer too much by slamming the produce department in the front of the store just as you walk in. Thinking about this logically, it doesn't make much sense in the summer when temperatures near the entrance of a grocery store can reach 75-80 degrees and there are always perishable items on the display tables near the entrances. Most of these very front tables AREN'T refrigerated either. How can a Chinese food place get shutdown for having Tofu unrefrigerated, but grocery stores can get away with keeping fruits and vegetables near 80 degrees all day? The people wonder why all their produce goes bad so quick. It's probably better to grow your own vegetables if you can manage a garden. Or, try the farmer's market roadstands in the surrounding towns of Charlotte. I saw one yesterday that had tomatoes for $0.59/lb and a pint of strawberries for $0.99!!! This is a FAR cry from HT's rip off prices of about $3.99/lb and $2.99-$3.99 respectively for the same items.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I like the newer ones. I'm glad they are building that new one up in UC though it looks somewhat out-of-place with its dark new brick with the neighboring stores having old deteriorating stucco. I wonder if the rest of the little strip mall will be renovated in the same fashion.