Each said no, arguing that the nearby rural population was too small to support a full-size supermarket, said Jerry Wit, vice president of marketing at MIE Properties Inc., which owns the shopping center.įood Lion said yes. "We are more interested in opportunities for future growth."įor instance, in Lisbon, in western Howard County, where Food Lion is scheduled to open a 34,000 square-foot store by the end of the year, the developer tried, unsuccessfully, to court Giant, Safeway and Weis Markets. Before they build in a neighborhood, some competitors require a strict minimum population size, he said. "We are often the first supermarket in a given area," said Lowrance. In some cases, the company tries to build the first supermarket in a new development, as it did four years ago in South Riding. While Giant and Safeway favor large, established neighborhoods, Food Lion often builds in smaller but growing developments. operations.įood Lion's transformation from a small-time supermarket chain, with just five stores here in 1993, into a substantial presence can be traced to a willingness to go into neighborhoods overlooked by Giant and Safeway, a strategy of opening stores outside the Beltway only and a relentless emphasis on cutting costs. In 2003, Delhaize recorded sales of $21.3 billion, 80 percent of that from U.S. Food Lion started in 1957 as an independent grocery store and was bought by Brussels-based Delhaize Group in 1976. Nationally, the Salisbury, N.C.-based chain operates 1,200 stores in 11 states, most of them clustered in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. It plans to open four more Washington area stores by the end of 2005. In the past 10 years, it has opened 51 supermarkets in the region, including 11 stores in Prince William County, eight in Fairfax County, seven in Loudoun County and six in Prince George's County, becoming the region's third-largest supermarket chain. In 2003, Food Lion's Washington area sales were $510 million, compared with about $1.9 billion for Safeway and $3.2 billion for Giant, according to estimates by Food World, a Baltimore trade publication.īut Food Lion's growth has been substantial. Giant and Safeway still dominate the market here. Lowrance puts it: "There are a lot of people who just want to get their grocery shopping done. "Food Lion has figured out there are enough people who just want the basics and want them cheap," said Gary M. It has ceded high-end shopping to its competitors and has focused on offering ordinary items priced cheaply and on operating smaller, no-frills stores at convenient locations. In an era where many retailers are trying to lure shoppers with broad selections, gourmet products and high service, Food Lion has found its niche at the opposite end of the spectrum. Yet while Giant and Safeway's share of the local grocery market has begun to slide, Food Lion's share has climbed to nearly 5 percent, outpacing the growth of both Wal-Mart Stores and Whole Foods. And the prepared foods section is a modest spread of baked turkey, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. The seafood department consists of a case of pre-packaged fish, with no employee in sight. You can also stack this with the 30x (worth 3%) on offer at Food Lion through the Drop app’s card-linked program.At first glance, the Food Lion store in South Riding in Loudoun County seems like an unlikely staging ground for an attack on the region's two dominant grocery chains, Safeway and Giant. I’d just steer clear of transactions for exactly $500 or $505.95. There’s no expiry date listed for this, so hopefully it’s a permanent addition to Rakuten’s in-store card-linked offers.ģ% cashback or 3x Membership Rewards points is a really nice deal as it’s on top of the bonus points you can earn on by paying with a credit card that earns more at grocery stores.Īs always with these offers, gift card purchases are excluded, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be enforced. Cash Back earned will be paid with your next eligible Rakuten Big Fat Check!.A linked offer that has not been redeemed will automatically expire on the date the offer itself ends.After such time the offer must be re-linked prior to your next purchase. A linked offer is good for 1 hour after initial redemption.Offer not valid at locations in US territories.
In-Store offers not valid for online purchases and may not be combined with other Rakuten rewards.Earn 3%/3x at Food Lion when paying with a card linked with Rakuten’s in-store program.
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