Harris Teeter

[DigitalSky]

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.

Yeah we get our produce mainly from the farmers market. And I like the produce sections in the back of the stores too.. I remember the old store at the Arboretum had it like that, but the newer store must have the largest produce section of any Harris Teeter store (even Morrocroft) i think. I like how Bloom stores have their produce section set up.

[mediamongrel]

Yeah we get our produce mainly from the farmers market. And I like the produce sections in the back of the stores too.. I remember the old store at the Arboretum had it like that, but the newer store must have the largest produce section of any Harris Teeter store (even Morrocroft) i think. I like how Bloom stores have their produce section set up.

I have never had a chance to get out to the area, but someone mentioned to me that the Harris Teeter in Laurinburg, NC and the one in Florence, SC are the "classic" type stores. They are also so isolated from the main HT marketshare that it is a wonder they stay open. If you've ever driven through Florence on the way to the beach, it doesn't strike me as an HT town.

[StevenRocks]

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.

I've bought produce from Kroger and Food Lion stores with the produce up front for years. It never affected the quality of what I purchaed there from what I could tell.

[DigitalSky]

I have never had a chance to get out to the area, but someone mentioned to me that the Harris Teeter in Laurinburg, NC and the one in Florence, SC are the "classic" type stores. They are also so isolated from the main HT marketshare that it is a wonder they stay open. If you've ever driven through Florence on the way to the beach, it doesn't strike me as an HT town.

Somewhere in this thread someone talks about how Ruddick keeps HT Laurinburg open because of the private college there and they are somehow affiliated. As for Florence, It's odd that there is still a store there and not in Myrtle Beach or Columbia.

But it's always important to add all the smaller cities and towns that Harris Teeter has vacated in recent years in the Charlotte market, just off the top of my head...

Statesville, Taylorsville, Forest City, Kings Mountain, Rockingham, Kannapolis, Lake Wylie even... the list goes on. I'm surprised stores in places like Cherryville, Lincolnton, Albemarle, Morganton, Newton are still open.

[DigitalSky]

9720 Rea Road - New Harris Teeter at Ardrey Kell & Rea Road opens tomorrow in The Shoppes at Blakeny.

This will make it Harris Teeter's 4th store on the Rea-Colony Corridor, joining Morrocroft, Colony Place, Stonecrest, and the closed Piper Glen store which it "replaced." Not to mention the propsed store down Rea Road...

[UrbanLifter]

Oddly enough, the Laurinburg store is open 24x7. I grew up in Laurinburg and its hard to imagine that Scotland County supports a 24x7 establishment.

The Ruddicks and Dicksons were at one time large contributors to St Andrews Prebyterian College. I imagine they still support the school as well the Belks are big supporters. The store is on land that the College owns and leases to Faison who developed Holly Square S/C. It is on a 99 year lease. The original anchors were K-Mart, HT and Revco Drugs. K-Mart eventually built a new store at the opposite end of the center but has since closed. BC Moore took over the orginal K-Mart pad.

I have not been back to Laurinurg in years and do not know what has become of the second K-Mart space.

HT has a store in Florence, nearby Aberdeen and Fayetteville. I do think the college is major reason why the store has not been closed. The only other competition are two Food Lions and some local Southeastern NC chain (Byrds I think).

The store is frequented by the local population that considers themselves more upscale. At one time, I know a lot of beer was purchased at HT by the college kids but with the drinking age at 21, that might be changed. At least I know when I went to the school there, I dropped a good bit of my dollars there for beer.

edit - spelling error

[DigitalSky]

Yeah that Harris Teeter is certainly a conundrum. It HAS to be because of the college there and whatever Ruddick's affiliation with it is. Yeah, you RARELY hear of a 24/7 grocer (sans wal-mart) in a town the size of Laurinburg.

Pics I took when we stopped in Laurinburg.. could never get a good view of the HT and well I wasn't driving so I didn't have much say/time to take the pics of the HT.

In that pic i was showing they had the same kind of lighting that Eastland had.

It's still werid that Harris Teeter closed their store in Rockingham but kept Laurinburg open.

[UrbanLifter]

Even the Wal Mart in Laurinburg is not 24x7. There is a huge concentration of industry in Scotland County. HT might be going after some of the second and third shifters.

Th entire population of Scotland County is approx 35,000 with about 16,000 in the city limits of Laurinburg.

[DigitalSky]

Harris Teeter - Rockingham.. i found this pic online... UrbanLifter you probably know when it closed.

[UrbanLifter]

Nice to see pictures of home. Looks like the property is kept up fairly decently. Yes, you are correct. Its the same lighting as Eastland. The bank was orignally Southern National now BBT. There is a new Wachovia to the right of your pictures on college property as well.

You took those pictures from the parking lot of either the lumber company or the parking lot of the former Food Lion.

The lumber company was originally the Ford Dealer and the Food Lion has since moved to the new center on the 401 Byapss, Scotland Crossing.

The new Scotland Memorial Hospital is behind the HT. The are offices back there as well and residential development.

The entire town started growing south once the college (1956 - 1960) and the 74 Bypass (1964) (Future I-74) were built.

Harris Teeter - Rockingham.. i found this pic online... UrbanLifter you probably know when it closed.

The store opened around 1985 or 1988 and closed sometime around 1995 if I recall. It was not open long. Rockingham and Hamlet are in a general decline and more blue collar than Laurinburg.

The first HT in Rockingham was a Big M about a mile closer in on the left side going west on 74.

[DigitalSky]

I took the pics from the Wendy's parking lot across the street.

The Wendy's if you're interested, and the Big Lots across the street.

I'm surprised that HT closed in 1995.. i would have guessed early 00s.

[UrbanLifter]

Wendy's is in front of the old Food Lion. I haven't been in Laurinburg since 1997.

You might be right at the HT closing. I am sure it was certainly no later than 2000.

[DigitalSky]

Ok. I guess that Big Lots is the current incarnation of the Food Lion then?

[UrbanLifter]

Yes, that is the first Food Lion in Laurinburg. When it was built, it was Food Town -- LFPINC. How recent are your photos?

[DigitalSky]

December 2005.

[mediamongrel]

December 2005.

I wish someone on here would get a picture of the old Taylorsville, NC location.

[DigitalSky]

I should totally do a road trip and get a pic of the Statesville location (has this one closed yet?) and the old Taylorsville location.

[mediamongrel]

I should totally do a road trip and get a pic of the Statesville location (has this one closed yet?) and the old Taylorsville location.

Yes, the Statesville one has been closed for a while now.

[UrbanLifter]

Closed per the HT website.

[mediamongrel]

What's with the Blakeney area needing another Target and HT. Someone ran the mileage and said that it is 1.2 miles from Blakeney HT and Target to the Stonecrest HT and Target. WTF, how close does it need to be for God sakes!

[DigitalSky]

I have a friend who works at the Target/stonecrest. She was told that the Target in Stonecrest did "too much volume" and it was necessary to build the store less than 2 miles down the street.

[mediamongrel]

I have a friend who works at the Target/stonecrest. She was told that the Target in Stonecrest did "too much volume" and it was necessary to build the store less than 2 miles down the street.

Really? The way I look at it is when I have the $$$ to build a $250k+ house, I don't want it within walking distance from a grocery store or a Target. I want to be at least 10 minutes from that retail crap. I would also like more land than the developments these days that give you 1/16th of an acre. But hey, I guess that's everyone's own choice.

[nmcheese]

Really? The way I look at it is when I have the $$$ to build a $250k+ house, I don't want it within walking distance from a grocery store or a Target. I want to be at least 10 minutes from that retail crap. I would also like more land than the developments these days that give you 1/16th of an acre. But hey, I guess that's everyone's own choice.

$250k is entry level or below of most of the walkable areas of this city. They're desirable for reasons beyond just being historic. It is nice to walk to get fresh fruit/veggies every other day from a grocery store and to a restaurant/coffee shop on the weekends, instead of sitting in traffic to get everywhere.

Granted what you're alluding to, building a million dollar box on less than a quarter acre (myers park, myers park manor, eastover) is a problem of a different sort.

Back to the thread topic: Are the monthly stats for each store online somewhere, or are the numbers in this thread from an insider?

I'm mainly wondering about the stability of the Park/Sharon Rd. West HT - my 'home' store.

[DigitalSky]

Harris Teeter at Quail Corners is stable. They won't be going anywhere anytime soon. They feed off upscale neighborhoods such as Seven Eagles and Heydon Hall.

[mediamongrel]

Harris Teeter at Quail Corners is stable. They won't be going anywhere anytime soon. They feed off upscale neighborhoods such as Seven Eagles and Heydon Hall.

Most of the stores inside Mecklenburg County are stable (exceptions being Eastland and Mint Hill) The mountain stores have a tough time because not a lot of people in the mountains shop at HT. Washington DC is a booming area right now, but HT has failed in their attempt to expand any further south (places such as Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina have all failed)