With a capital investment exceeding $50 million, Food Lion is unveiling remodeled stores in Wilmington, NC, that feature a new, more effortless shopping experience for customers.
According to the company, 24 stores held ribbon-cutting events in the Wilmington area on May 10, with five more to follow soon.
The investment includes remodeling the stores, providing eCommerce at every store through pickup and home delivery options, training and developing associates to offer the best customer experience, and giving back to local communities.
While renovating and refreshing its look, the redesign reflects its continued commitment to the towns and cities it serves, providing an easy, fresh, and affordable shopping experience, the company reported in a press release.
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“Food Lion has been a proud neighbor in the Wilmington community for 40 years,” said Meg Ham, President of Food Lion.
“From a brand-new look and feel to more convenient grab-and-go items to make any meal easier, each store has made big changes with our customers in mind. We remain committed to keeping our prices low every day, offering great promotions and other opportunities to save. We are excited for our neighbors to experience the enhancements we have made just for them,” Ham added.
Inspired by feedback from customers and associates, all stores now feature self-checkout lanes and are refreshed with new décor reflecting an enhanced shopping experience.
New Features of the Renovated Stores
Store upgrades include an extensive product assortment focusing on affordable and accessible meal solutions ready to eat, cook, or heat.
Customers will also have more healthy options and a large selection of organic, gluten-free, and plant-based items, including Nature’s Promise, Food Lion’s affordable brand of wholesome and organic products made with no artificial flavors, preservatives, or synthetic colors.
Improvements also include the convenience offered for shoppers with Food Lion To Go grocery pickup or home delivery service.
Online orders may be placed on the Food Lion To Go website or the Food Lion To Go app.
Food Lion’s enhanced stores feature energy-efficient overhead LED lighting and refrigerated cases with doors.
The modern solutions impart ambiance, enhance fresh product assortment and reduce energy costs, helping reduce the grocer’s environmental footprint.
Through its Local Goodness program, Food Lion stores offer a wide variety of regional products sourced from local growers or manufacturers, serving customers in a more meaningful way with products that are the heart and soul of the community.
Food Lion Supports the Food Bank in Wilmington, NC
Working in partnership to help address food insecurity, the grocer has also contributed $500,000 through its hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds, to support the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at Wilmington.
The investment supports the 3,000-square-foot commercial kitchen, the first commercial kitchen operated by the nonprofit organization.
“With the cost of so many things we buy every day increasing, we need support from our retail donors. Food Lion has been an incredible partner to food banks across their footprint,” said Beth Gaglione, Branch Director for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at Wilmington.
“The Food Bank has built a state-of-the-art new facility in Wilmington with an amazing commercial kitchen thanks to Food Lion Feeds. Now we need to fill it with nutritious, healthy food to meet the need of our community. We know we can count on our friends at Food Lion,” added Gaglione.
Food Lion Feeds also provided another $32,500 to support 13 partner feeding agencies with the purchase of refrigerators and freezers.
By investing in this opportunity for agency-related capacity building, the program is helping to address critical needs in providing food to neighbors facing hunger.