Lowes Foods
Encyclopedia
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
chain based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. The company now has 102 stores in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, five in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, and two in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The chain's initial growth was in the mountains of North Carolina and rural areas of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, but, starting in the late 1990s, has geared expansion towards metropolitan areas in North and South Carolina.
Until October 4, 2009, Lowes Foods used S&H Greenpoints
S&H Green Stamps
S&H Green Stamps were trading stamps popular in the United States from the 1930s until the late 1980s. They were distributed as part of a rewards program operated by the Sperry and Hutchinson company , founded in 1896 by Thomas Sperry and Shelly Hutchinson...
on their store discount card; this was replaced with "Fresh Rewards" on October 5. Many of Lowes Foods stores also offer Lowes Foods to Go, where shoppers can order groceries online and drive to the store to pick them up. Business and home delivery is available at select locations throughout North and South Carolina.
As of 2010, Lowes Foods had 111 stores and 8,500 employees.
History
Lowes Foods started in Wilkesboro, North CarolinaWilkesboro, North Carolina
Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,159 at the 2000 census, and it is the second largest municipality in the county. The 2010 Census listed the town's population at 3,044. The town is located along the south bank of the...
, with a single store that Jim Lowe (former co-owner and son of the founder of Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
) opened in 1954. Lowe sold that store to J.C. Faw. Expansion in Wilkesboro and the mountain regions of NC shortly followed. In 1984, the chain was sold to MDI
Merchants Distributors, Inc.
Alex Lee, Inc. is a wholesale distributor of food and non-food items to grocery stores, headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina, United States...
of Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222...
. After MDI bought Institution Food House, Inc., the Lowes chain, MDI, and IFH became divisions of a new company, Alex Lee Inc., formed in 1992 and named for MDI founders Alex and Lee George.
In 1997, Alex Lee, the parent company of Lowes, bought Byrd's
Byrd's
Byrd's was a grocery store chain based in Burlington, North Carolina. It was a family owned and operated company by the Byrd family of Burlington....
Food Stores Inc. of Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...
, which had 43 stores. Lowes had 56 stores, few in the area served by Byrd's
Byrd's
Byrd's was a grocery store chain based in Burlington, North Carolina. It was a family owned and operated company by the Byrd family of Burlington....
. The Byrd's stores became Lowes stores. In 2000, Delhaize America
Delhaize Group
Delhaize Group is a food retailer headquartered in Belgium which operates in eight countries and on three continents. The principal activity of Delhaize Group is the operation of food supermarkets.-History:Delhaize Group was founded in Belgium in 1867....
had to sell 38 Hannaford stores to satisfy antitrust
Competition law
Competition law, known in the United States as antitrust law, is law that promotes or maintains market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies....
concerns. Lowes bought 12 of these, six (plus one under construction) in the Triangle and six on the coast.
In 2007, Lowes Foods opened its first fuel station at a Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222...
, store. As of December 2010, eleven Lowes Foods stores had installed fuel stations to accompany the grocery shopping. Lowes offers a five cent discount per gallon of gas with each $100 spent inside the store.
In 2011, Lowes Foods opened a 'frugal cousin' series of stores called Just $ave. These stores are located mainly in rural areas, targetting budget-conscious shoppers. Just $ave stores have opened in Pilot Mountain
Pilot Mountain, North Carolina
Pilot Mountain is a town in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,477 at the 2010 census. It is named for the nearby landmark of Pilot Mountain, a distinctive geological formation...
, North Wilkesboro
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was approximately 4,116 at the 2000 census and is now 4,245 as of the 2010 census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvement, which continues to have a major presence in...
, Graham
Graham, North Carolina
Graham is a city in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current population estimate is 14,533...
, Roxboro
Roxboro, North Carolina
Roxboro is a city and the county seat of Person County, North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the city of Roxboro has a population of 8,362. The city is 30 miles north of Durham, NC. It is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area.-History:...
, Asheboro
Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 21,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County, and is the home of the state-owned North Carolina Zoo.-Geography:...
, and Thomasville
Thomasville, North Carolina
Thomasville is a city in Davidson County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,354 at the 2010 census. The city is notable for its furniture industry as are its neighbors of High Point and Lexington. This Piedmont Triad community was established in 1852 and hosts the state's...
.
On August 15, 2011, Lowes began the Aisle50 program in the Carolinas, intending to expand to other areas and other chains in the future. Deals from aisle50.com will not likely replace coupons, but shoppers will be able to buy certain products for about half their normal prices.