Dive Brief:
- Food Lion plans to open four new stores in North Carolina and South Carolina during the first three months of 2026, the Ahold Delhaize-owned supermarket chain announced last week.
- The first location is set to open on Wednesday in Pontiac, South Carolina, followed by stores in Statesville and Greensboro, North Carolina, and Simpsonville, South Carolina, over the coming weeks.
- The fleet expansion builds on other recent steps by Food Lion to expand its presence in the Southeast.
Dive Insight:
Food Lion is preparing to open the four new stores following its completion last year of remodeling projects at more than 150 locations in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. That project reflected an investment by the grocer of nearly $500 million.
Also last year, Food Lion parent Ahold Delhaize USA announced plans to build an automated distribution center in Burlington, North Carolina, that will primarily serve Food Lion stores. Ahold Delhaize USA said last week that it has entered a lease-back arrangement with Blackstone Credit & Insurance under which the real estate investment company will own the facility, which is expected to cost about $860 million to build.
Each of the new stores that Food Lion is getting ready to open will include a walk-in garden cooler, fresh-cut fruit prepared on site, freshly made sushi, and a self-service wing and hot favorites bar. The locations will also be equipped with refrigerated cases with doors, a carbon dioxide refrigeration system as well as LED lighting.
Food Lion’s financial performance has made the retailer a star among Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. grocery banners. The chain, which operates more than 1,100 stores across 10 states, has posted positive same-store sales growth for 52 consecutive quarters.
