SALISBURY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Food Lion will unveil a new, easier shopping experience for customers in the greater Richmond, Va., market. The company made a significant $110 million capital investment in its 71 area stores this year, which includes remodeling the stores, lowering prices, hiring hundreds of additional associates and giving back to local communities.
“Food Lion has been a proud neighbor in the greater Richmond community since 1982, and we're excited to bring these improvements to our 71 stores in the area," said Meg Ham, president of Food Lion. "We've spent the past several months making significant investments in our stores, customers, associates and communities to create a new grocery shopping experience. Now, customers can easily find fresh, quality products at affordable prices to nourish their families, delivered with caring, friendly service every time they shop. As Food Lion celebrates our 60th anniversary this year, we invite everyone to come out and experience the fresh, new changes we've made in order to deliver the products and services our customers expect.”
As part of the celebration festivities on Oct. 11, the company will give away $10 gift cards and thermal tote bags to the first 100 customers at each of its greater Richmond-area locations following the 7:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. A complete list of the remodeled stores, along with the gift card giveaway locations, is available at www.foodlion.com/newsroom.
Among the changes customers will see:
- Fully remodeled stores which provide an easier place to shop for customers by grouping like products, installing new signage to help locate items faster, as well as a more efficient checkout process;
- Improved quality and freshness for products throughout the store, including produce and meats;
- Lower prices on thousands of items across all departments;
- Expanded variety and assortment across all departments relevant to our customers in each store, such as more local products like produce, natural and organic selections; and craft beer;
- Enhanced customer service achieved by hiring more than 1,000 associates throughout the region and investing in additional customer-centric training for nearly 4,000 associates in the market.
“With every change we make, we always have our customers at heart," added Ham. "That's why we not only invested in our stores, we also invested in promoting great associates and hiring promising new talent. It's also why, as part of our grand re-opening celebrations, we're partnering with FeedMore and their affiliated local feeding agencies to help end hunger in the towns and cities we serve. Giving back to our communities is something we're just as passionate about as serving our customers every day in our stores."
Food Lion Feeds Makes Significant Commitments to FeedMore and 71 Local Feeding Agencies
Consistent with Food Lion's focus on eliminating hunger in its local communities through Food Lion Feeds, the grocer is donating 7,100 meals to 71 local feeding agencies supported by Food Lion stores. This donation is the equivalent of more than 500,000 meals, which will remain in the local communities Food Lion serves.
In addition, the company is partnering with FeedMore to help those who are hungry gain access to more food by donating $100,000, or the equivalent of nearly 500,000 meals, to help improve the distribution of healthy food and increase access to fresh and nutritious meals to the 34 cities and counties served by FeedMore.
“We are extremely grateful to have Food Lion standing beside us in the fight against hunger. The tremendous impact Food Lion Feeds has made in our communities and their continued partnership enables us to distribute healthy food to families in need,” said Doug Pick, CEO for FeedMore. “Food Lion Feeds' generous donation to our local partner food pantries makes a significant impact, especially for our smaller partner agencies. And, while we are very excited about the additional support from Food Lion to help us improve our neighbors’ access to healthy food, strengthen our nutrition programs and other services, the direct impact these localized donations have on our partner agencies are critically important in making sure no one goes hungry in the greater Richmond community.”
These donations are part of the grocer’s commitment to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020 through Food Lion Feeds.
New Store Features for Customers
Food Lion's remodeled stores include new features that make shopping and saving easier, and reflect the grocer's "Easy, Fresh and Affordable… You Can Count On Food Lion Every Day!" strategy.
Food Lion expanded its product selection in stores by adding an abundant selection of fresh produce and meat backed by Food Lion's double-your-money-back guarantee, increasing gluten-free and organic items and growing its selection of Nature's Place beef, pork, poultry, salads, fruit and bakery items, free from unwanted ingredients. In addition, customers can buy more local products from the grocer's "local goodness" section and have an expanded variety of craft beers, limited reserve wines and much more.
Food Lion has also added easy and affordable meals for families, including weekend deals from Friday to Sunday and hot meals with sides available seven days a week. The grocer now has a wider variety of grab-and-go items and pre-sliced deli meats and cheeses, which are sliced fresh daily and available for customers to pick up without waiting in line.
Food Lion made savings easier with lower prices, improved signage and its three Easy Ways to Save:
- Hot Sale: Food Lion's top weekly MVP specials, and the best prices throughout the store, only available with an MVP card.
- WOW: Lower prices on thousands of items that matter most to our customers, offered for longer periods of time.
- Low Price: Essential items priced affordably every day.
Knowing customers want to complete their shopping quickly, Food Lion made checkout faster with improved technology and larger display screens while adding associates throughout the store to help meet customers' needs.
Food Lion is also testing a new, walk-in garden cooler in its produce section in 14 area stores. A list of stores is available at www.foodlion.com/newsroom.
With the completion of this market, Food Lion has remodeled 544 of its 1,000 stores in the last three years. Food Lion will continue to make customer-centric enhancements across all stores and remodel additional stores in other markets.
Serving 9 million customers each week at more than 1,000 locations in 10 states, the company was founded as Food Town in 1957 and still calls Salisbury, N.C., its hometown.
About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 63,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has committed to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Food Lion is a company of Delhaize America, a U.S. division of Zaandam-based Royal Ahold Delhaize Group. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.
