Food Lion will invest $168 million in 105 stores in greater Hampton Roads

Food Lion says it will invest $168 million to remodel 105 stores in the Hampton Roads region, including some in eastern North Carolina. According to the Salisbury, N.C.-based grocer, the capital investment will go towards remodeling the stores, lowering prices, expanding the assortment of products, hiring about 5,000 new employees and promoting current employees.

Additionally, the company plans additional community partnerships through Food Lion's hunger-relief initiative Food Lion Feeds.

The company’s list of stores on the remodel list include 22 in Virginia Beach, 12 in Chesapeake, eight each in Hampton, Newport News and Norfolk and five stores each in Portsmouth, and Suffolk.  Stores in Nags Head, Corolla and Kitty Hawk located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina also are on the list.

The remodeling comes at the time when the grocery market is in flux and Food Lion, Hampton Roads’ dominate grocer, may be trying to protect its turf. 

Supervalu announced in March that it was selling 21 of its 38 Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy Stores in Hampton Roads to Kroger and Food Lion for $43 million cash.

Of the 21 stores, 10 will be sold to Kroger’s Harris Teeter brand, eight will be sold to Kroger’s  Mid-Atlantic Division,  and three will be sold to Food Lion.  With the sale, each of the three brands indicated that some of the stores would close for rebranding and renovations. The deals are expected to close this month.

Food Lion said all of the 105 stores will remain open with normal operating hours during the remodeling. Once complete, the company said, these locations will be designed for easier navigation, so customers can get in and out quickly. Additionally, they will offer an expanded variety of products, such as more local, natural, organic and gluten-free items, Food Lion said.

Twelve of the 105 stores will feature walk-in garden coolers designed to keep produce fresher longer. Six stores will include expanded deli departments with handmade artisan pizza, a wing bar and a coffee and soda station.

Food Lion said it has remodeled 544 of its more than 1,000 stores across its 10-state operating area in the last four years.

The grocer has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 63,000 associates. It is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Royal Ahold Delhaize Group.