Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The newer Lowe's Foods are apparently quite upscale and very nice. But are they enough of a gamechanger to effectively compete against Publix and Harris Teeter? They previously decided the answer was no, and pulled out of most of the Charlotte market. But ironically they are now preparing to enter Greenville, SC where they will eventually face the same competition with the return of Harris Teeter. And many of the Charlotte Lowe's stores were already sold to Harris Teeter. The future of Lowe's Food indeed remains a bit curious.
They already compete well with Harris Teeter, and it will be a good while before Publix has enough of a presence to actually compete with more than one or two locations. I think Lowe's is very much on the level of the other two and I see no reason why it can't continue to compete well for the same customers it already has. I much prefer Lowe's to HT, but both are just grocery stores and neither offers something vastly different from the other.
I guess you could question the future of any local business when new corporations start expanding into the area. You can't really put up a retailer pulling out of competition with a hometown retailer, like the situation with Lowe's and HT in Charlotte...that's an anomaly. HT is not that popular in other areas of NC, or at least not anymore popular than Lowe's - especially not on Lowe's own home turf.
I agree that Lowe's is one of the low hanging chains on the list. I felt this way since the arrival of Publix, who compete for the same demographic tbh.
Kroger paid 2.4 Billion for Harris Teeter and that is its largest subsidiary by store count. They're not going down down without a fight. Someone made a delusional comment about Wegmans decimating Kroger and Harris Teeter in another thread, and I couldn't take it seriously.
That said, HT has to lower their price point, and employ a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach.
Food Lion should worry about Aldi, Walmart Neighborhood Market and LiDL more than Publix. Their stores have a reputation for being low volume.
I've heard horror stories on this forum about what happened to Fresh Market after their buyout. So I think they're low hanging fruit as well.
Whole Foods will definitely be affected if Wegmans has lower prices than they do.
I assume all of this is just your personal speculation...I haven't heard the first thing about any of this from any reliable source. It sounds like you just don't know much about Lowe's and are assuming it isn't much of a player because its local - and evidently local retailers can't compete with national ones in your world. I don't see it that way...local ones are often times much better and are very competitive. All that said, there has been not even a hint of a rumor about Lowe's being sold, so it's just a bunch of mindless chatter.
They already compete well with Harris Teeter, and it will be a good while before Publix has enough of a presence to actually compete with more than one or two locations. I think Lowe's is very much on the level of the other two and I see no reason why it can't continue to compete well for the same customers it already has. I much prefer Lowe's to HT, but both are just grocery stores and neither offers something vastly different from the other.
I guess you could question the future of any local business when new corporations start expanding into the area. You can't really put up a retailer pulling out of competition with a hometown retailer, like the situation with Lowe's and HT in Charlotte...that's an anomaly. HT is not that popular in other areas of NC, or at least not anymore popular than Lowe's - especially not on Lowe's own home turf.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeTarheel
I assume all of this is just your personal speculation...I haven't heard the first thing about any of this from any reliable source. It sounds like you just don't know much about Lowe's and are assuming it isn't much of a player because its local - and evidently local retailers can't compete with national ones in your world. I don't see it that way...local ones are often times much better and are very competitive. All that said, there has been not even a hint of a rumor about Lowe's being sold, so it's just a bunch of mindless chatter.
I have followed Lowe's Foods for years. Its new stores are not enough to keep up with Harris Teeter and Publix. Failing in the Charlotte metropolitan area and expanding into the Greenville, Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, metropolitan areas raise red flags.
I assume all of this is just your personal speculation...I haven't heard the first thing about any of this from any reliable source. It sounds like you just don't know much about Lowe's and are assuming it isn't much of a player because its local - [b]and evidently local retailers can't compete with national ones in your world. [b] I don't see it that way...local ones are often times much better and are very competitive. All that said, there has been not even a hint of a rumor about Lowe's being sold, so it's just a bunch of mindless chatter.
You're putting words in my mouth.
When did I say or imply that national chains were universally better than local chains? I think Ingles, which is based in Black Mountain will do fine despite what some of the posters in Western NC think of it; I also think Farm Fresh and Shoppers are vulnerable in Virginia, and they're both owned by SuperValu in Minnesota. Martin's was another one that suffered up there and they weren't local either.
As far as Lowe's is concerned, you're right that they aren't for sale. "If they were sold..." was definitely speculation on my part.
As to the part highlighted in red, I'll say this:
From a market share standpoint, Lowe's Foods is lagging behind (they're in fifth place in the Triangle)
When a new competitor who has a cult following and is known for running stores out of markets (Publix) comes in, it's definitely plausible to say that Lowe's Foods is the vulnerable one. To simply say it's not competitive just because it's local makes no sense whatsoever. However, I don't think people are going to go out of their way to Lowe's just because they say they're from Winston-Salem, slap local stickers all over the place and name their aisles after local streets.
Ingle's is a local supermarket dominant in the western Carolinas (western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina combined). It is being served a silver platter by Bi-Lo across upstate South Carolina.
Farm Fresh and Shoppers stores could be acquisition targets if Publix seeks to buy additional stores to enter northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.
Lowe's Foods can claim to be local. When its stores are out of touch with the local trade areas they serve, it can be hard to succeed. Harris Teeter and Ingle's have done well being truly local.
Ingle's is a local supermarket dominant in the western Carolinas (western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina combined). It is being served a silver platter by Bi-Lo across upstate South Carolina.
Farm Fresh and Shoppers stores could be acquisition targets if Publix seeks to buy additional stores to enter northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.
Lowe's Foods can claim to be local. When its stores are out of touch with the local trade areas they serve, it can be hard to succeed. Harris Teeter and Ingle's have done well being truly local.
Regarding Bi-Lo, it continues to close underperforming stores in many markets. And its merger with Winn-Dixie leaves 2 failing chains struggling to survive. Their days may eventually be numbered as Southeast Grocers may eventually sell for the real estate.
And Bi-Lo used to be more of a local supermarket when headquartered in Greenville, SC and enjoyed more local support in Upstate SC and Western NC. The local ties were lost when the headquarters moved with Winn-Dixie to Jacksonville, Fla.
Now Bi-Lo and Winn Dixie both face strong competition from Publix in the Carolinas and Florida.
No. Winn-Dixie pulled out of the Carolinas a number of years ago. They now remain in Florida and possibly Alabama, and face stiff competition from Publix.
Soo......when is H-Mart going to hurry on up and open already?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You're putting words in my mouth.
