Harris Teeter

[Miesian Corners]

When was the last time anyone was brought food by a Lion? It's not the King of the Jungle either, so you can throw that out the window. Most of the time its produce is nasty. Food Lion just makes no damn sense. It's like calling a clothing store "Jacket Hippo", or a toy store "Toy Jackrabbit". Am I the only one that thinks that way, because I usually am

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The Belgian parent company's (Delhaize) symbol is a lion. Not logo, mind you, a symbol to do with royalty. I have a hard time beliveing that Queen Beatrix would be caught dead in a Food Dog, but I could be wrong.

Edit: I found this on the Delhaize website...

1883-1914 In thirty years the company opened more than 500 branches spread out to the four corners of the country. They all displayed the same corporate identity: the Delhaize "Le Lion" sign, attractive window with prices displayed, recurring advertising, the best products on offer at the lowest prices. As from the 1880s, in particular, the branches were selling the best American preserves such as Californian salmon and fruit and offered their customers the best coffees and a varied range of wines including those from the best vineyards. The branch manager was truly a specialist in his products that he knew and promoted to perfection.

[DigitalSky]

From the Observer 5-26

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/11740149.htm

DOUG SMITH

Harris Teeter is gearing up to battle for market share in Plaza-Midwood with Whole Foods Market, which has plans to open a natural-and-organic foods supermarket in neighboring Elizabeth by early 2007.

Matthews-based Harris Teeter officials are sketchy about what changes they will make to improve the competitiveness of the chain's 56-year-old store at 1704 Central Ave.

But spokeswoman Jennifer Panetta does say, "We are definitely working to do something to better serve our customers and give them a better variety."

Plaza-Midwood neighborhood insiders say, however, that Harris Teeter is working to gain control of the closed Crown service station property next door on Central so it can possibly redevelop the block with a larger store.

That doesn't surprise Charlotte retail experts, who say the chain typically responds aggressively when competitors invade.

[dubone]

when i first moved to uptown in 2001, i looked at whether to go to East Blvd or Central Ave harris teeter. it seemed that central was a little bit closer, but the store quality was no where near that of East blvd, which had revonated/expanded a few years earlier.

We now mix our grocery shopping roughly 30% East Blvd HT, 60% 5th/Poplar HT, 10% Reids.

I'm excited about whole foods coming, and my wife and i would probably shop something like

10% Central HT, 10% East Blvd HT, 15% Whole Foods, 10% Reids, 55% 5th/Poplar HT.

I like our urban teeter in fourth ward and reid's, but they each have some selection and grouped trip (like when also going to blockbuster or outback, etc) trade offs that lead us to the larger stores ~1/3 of the time.

[monsoon]

Is the Winn Dixie on Freedom Drive closed? That would be pretty close to downtown. There is a Bilo over there too.

[dubone]

there is a bilo in the southern end of dilworth, but that is even further from downtown than teeter. I think there are a few grocers on the west side, but i'm not too sure.

I'm much more partial to harris teeter, mostly because i trust their generic brands, and i like their store layouts... and they are locally owned.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I'm much more partial to harris teeter, mostly because i trust their generic brands, and i like their store layouts... and they are locally owned.

Same exact reasons I prefer HT.

[DigitalSky]

Is the Winn Dixie on Freedom Drive closed?  That would be pretty close to downtown.  There is a Bilo over there too.

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The Winn-Dixie on Alleghany St (near Freedom Dr) and the Bi-Lo on Ashley Rd are still open.

[StevenRocks]

The Winn-Dixie on Alleghany St (near Freedom Dr) and the Bi-Lo on Ashley Rd are still open.

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Faced with those choices, I'd go to HT.

[skysdalimit]

Harris Teeter number 1!!!

[dubone]

back to the article, though, i do hope HT steps up to have more organic offerings, and super-high quality stuff to compete with Whole Foods. I've never shopped at whole foods, but the concepts gels for me, somehow. I'm not granola, or vegan, or really all that health conscious... but i just like to feel like i'm eating something closer to what my 107 year old great-grandmother (yes, still alive, born 1898) would have eaten.

I'm fairly sure she didn't grow up on partially hydrogenated high fructose sodium nitrate yellow 5.

Teeters really has done a lot more with that type of product than many other chains that i have noticed, but more would be good.

[Neo]

I lived on top of a Whole Foods in DT Chicago and I went to Jewel for most of my grocery shopping. The prices were through the roof but I will admit that the quality of produce was unmatched by anyone. The cleanliness of the store and the line of organic items they carried can't be found elsewhere. You can even pick up some soy toilet paper there, LOL!

[jb4563]

Harris Teeter number 1!!!

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Lowes Foods quicks HT's butt anyday!

LF is the title sponsor of Taste of Charlotte this year...so they are really making headroads into CLT.

[dubone]

i need to try lowe's foods at some point. From the sounds of things, they do a good job for demographics that would shop at HT (which obviously includes me)... they are also almost locally-owned, being in NC. (i believe they were brothers that started the hardware store and grocery store... but i could be wrong).

Does LF compete well in the natural/whole foods arena?

[jb4563]

i need to try lowe's foods at some point.  From the sounds of things, they do a good job for demographics that would shop at HT (which obviously includes me)...  they are also almost locally-owned, being in NC.  (i believe they were brothers that started the hardware store and grocery store... but i could be wrong).

Does LF compete well in the natural/whole foods arena?

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Yeah, Lowe's and Lowes Foods have some connection from the early days, but I don't remember what it is..they are no longer connected.

I think LF does a better job in the natural/whole foods area than HT..but they are certainly not a Whole Foods by any means

For those of you who loved Hannaford, I think LF is the closest thing we have to Hannaford now...there is something about the atmosphere, layout, and service that reminds me of Hannaford.

I rue the day Delhaize (parent of Food Lion) bought Hannaford.

[DigitalSky]

^yeah Hannaford was pretty nice. I think in the Triangle area, most of the stores that were Hannafords became Lowe's Foods..

[atownrocks]

Some of the Harris Teeters, in the Charlotte area need to be remodeled.. For example the one in Monroe is over due. Food Lion and Wal-Mart have already remodeled there stores. The Harris Teeter in Monroe needs to be remodeled. Does anyone have any information on any of this. Does everyone agree??

[DigitalSky]

Some of the Harris Teeters, in the Charlotte area need to be remodeled.. For example the one in Monroe is over due. Food Lion and Wal-Mart have already remodeled there stores. The Harris Teeter in Monroe needs to be remodeled. Does anyone have any information on any of this. Does everyone agree??

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Yeah the one (and only one) in Monroe needs to be remodled, as does the one at Eastland Mall. I don't know what Harris Teeter's plans are for either of these stores though.

[graydog]

The Quail Corners HT was renovated last year. Other than that I've only been to 4th Ward, Quail/Carmel and Stonecrest. They all look good. I haven't seen Monroe.

The new Food Lion at Johnston Rd. Plaza is very nice. The floor is a stained concrete. The aisles are wide and indented at the middle. Access in is good, but getting out is tough. Their merchandise depth is not so great. Who doesn't carry dark chocolate?

If Hannaford could have made a go of it here, the bar would be higher for HT. I shopped Hannaford for years in New England. They are a step above the old Hairy Teeter.

In a few years the sucking sound you will hear in Elizabeth will be Whole Foods taking HT's high-end customers. Given that they target Charlotte's middle upper class market, it will likely hurt their profits in Myers Park, Elizabeth and Uptown.

[jb4563]

Some of the Harris Teeters, in the Charlotte area need to be remodeled.. For example the one in Monroe is over due. Food Lion and Wal-Mart have already remodeled there stores. The Harris Teeter in Monroe needs to be remodeled. Does anyone have any information on any of this. Does everyone agree??

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The University HT (on 49) is the worst HT (ok..worst groecery store period) known to mankind. It is tiny, and for God's sake, the produce section is on left hand side of the store (it is a total reverse layout of every grocery store)..never seen anything like it.

Supposedly, they are going to rebuild it where the old cinema/Media Play was, but I have yet to see that...

[DigitalSky]

The University HT (on 49) is the worst HT (ok..worst groecery store period) known to mankind.  It is tiny, and for God's sake, the produce section is on left hand side of the store (it is a total reverse layout of every grocery store)..never seen anything like it.

Supposedly, they are going to rebuild it where the old cinema/Media Play was, but I have yet to see that...

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Yeah that is the worst one!! The aisles are narrow, and their produce when I was there last year wasn't the freshest... umm but yeah it's an old Harris Teeter in need of some TLC. At least make it look good for those UNCC Students

[atlrvr]

Has anyone been into the new University City Bloom on 29? As a Food Lion, it was much worse than the univ. HT.

[monsoon]

The really new Harris Teeter in Rosedale (< 4 years) is already undergoing an intense remodeling and expansion because of the large amount of grocery store competition in the area. There has always been a Lowes at the Lake, but 4-5 years ago, they closed the original one and built the first modern Lowes in Mecklenburg country near Birkdale. (you are correct about the ties to the Lowes hardware)

So Lowes and Harris Teeter are going head to head at the Lake. Its probably the first battle these two locally owned stores are fighting. Lowes is going after high quality and lower prices. Harris Teeter is going after quantity by building their 4th new store in the area. All of the HT's are concentrated in a very small area. I actually would have hoped they would have rejected it but it seems they got approval. Davidson did reject a HT for its downtown.

Lowes offers Internet shopping and home delivery at the Lake. Harris Teelter sends out endless coupons for free food. Both stores offer very high end food but they face intense competion from a number of speciality shops doing the same thing.

Not to be outdone, Foodlion has dressed up several of its stores to the FreshLook concept, added Boston Market to thier deli, and have extensive wholesome food areas as well. These are the only FoodLions I have seen to have done this. No Blooms here as I think they think it is simply too gimmicky for this market.

The casualities are Bilo and WinnDixie. There is a fairly brand new Bilo at exit 28 that has closed, and the one at Rosedale is not doing much better. WinnDixie's single 7 year old store at the lake is also suffering greatly.

Because of strict zoning at the Lake, none of these stores face direct competition from the likes of SuperWalmart/Target or Costco/BJs/Sams. The Home Economist does operate its largest grocery store in Davidson.

If you want to see where grocery stores are headed in Mecklenburg, look at what is happening at the Lake. It happens here first.

[DigitalSky]

Yeah, I'm surprised the Winn Dixie on Sam Furr is still even open. Where was the Bi-Lo located at exit 28?

[monsoon]

Yeah, I'm surprised the Winn Dixie on Sam Furr is still even open.  Where was the Bi-Lo located at exit 28?

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If you are heading west from I-77 it can be found on the left side. If you are familiar with Sushi@The Lake, it is behind it. The building is empty now. I believe they finished building it in 1994.

[DigitalSky]

If you are heading west from I-77 it can be found on the left side.  If you are familiar with Sushi@The Lake, it is behind it.  The building is empty now.  I believe they finished building it in 1994.

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Ok I know now. I guess the two Harris Teeters within 800 yards was too much competition