Lowes Foods Plans 5-Store Expansion

North Carolina-based grocer Lowes Foods is planning an expansion in the Carolinas with five new locations slated for the next several years.

First covered by Store Brands’ sister publication Progressive Grocer, the retailer has plans for a location in Pittsboro, N.C., later this year, with other stores to follow in Concord and Kannapolis, N.C., and Aiken and Indian Land, S.C. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hickory, N.C.-based Alex Lee Inc., Lowes Foods currently operates more than 80 full-service supermarkets in the Carolinas where its private label products can be found.

“We’re excited to be building additional Lowes Foods stores to serve the booming growth areas around Charlotte and northeast of Augusta, Ga.,” said Tim Lowe, head of retail for Alex Lee, Inc. and president at Lowes Foods. “All five of our new stores are in various stages of planning and construction, and we look forward to sharing opening timelines and plans in coming months.”

According to the retailer, the Concord site is located at the intersection of Christenbury Parkway and Cox Mill Road and the Kannapolis site is at the intersection of Kannapolis Parkway and Rogers Lake Road. In South Carolina, meanwhile, the Aiken store will be located at the intersection of Whiskey Road and Powerhouse Road Southeast, and in Indian Land along Highway 521 at Possum Hollow Road.

Last year, Lowes Foods opened a concept store in Huntersville, N.C., which uses a smaller footprint than its traditional stores. The location measures 25,000 square feet but provides a number of special features not typically found in Lowes Foods stores, including a food hall-type environment and a community meeting space.