Greenville, South Carolina supermarkets and grocery stores (York, Woodruff: home, live)

[USNRET04]

Originally Posted by Carolina Knight

I would not be surprised to see Walmart open a store in Greenville's downtown. A Neighborhood Market store would provide the necessities of food and pharmacy. The trade area is distant enough from other stores to consider a Supercenter store. A Supercenter store would have to be vertically expansive.

Has anyone been to the Greer Neighborhood Market? Is it a nicer shopping experience than going to the Supercenter? I've been thinking of stopping by the Simpsonville location later this week.

[Carolina Knight]

I have been inside Walmart Neighborhood Market #4145 once last February. I view a Neighborhood Market store more as a supermarket rather than an extension of a Supercenter store. I must have overlooked the full service bakery and delicatessen departments during my visit. The front end's regular checkout lanes are identical to Walmart Supercenter stores without the baggers' stations. I assume associates are on hand to carry out groceries when needed.

[Carolina Knight]

Walmart Neighborhood Market #3628 is now open for business.

[tylerSC]

I think Walmart Neighborhood Market is a nice choice for folks who don't like the big Walmart superstores. Good low prices without the chaos and congestion of the larger stores. And a decent basic selection overall, including a bakery and deli. I think they will pull business from Food Lion and Bi-Lo more so than Publix. My mother hates to set foot in a Walmart Supercenter, but she likes the Neighborhood Market. And she will reguarly shop at Publix and sometimes Fresh Market. But she has fallen out of favor with Bi-Lo for a good while now.

[lyricamphibian]

Originally Posted by tylerSC

I think Walmart Neighborhood Market is a nice choice for folks who don't like the big Walmart superstores. Good low prices without the chaos and congestion of the larger stores. And a decent basic selection overall, including a bakery and deli. I think they will pull business from Food Lion and Bi-Lo more so than Publix. My mother hates to set foot in a Walmart Supercenter, but she likes the Neighborhood Market. And she will reguarly shop at Publix and sometimes Fresh Market. But she has fallen out of favor with Bi-Lo for a good while now.

I do most of my shopping at Publix but generally avoid Bi-Lo. There are specific items that I buy at Wal-Mart, either because of price or because Wal-Mart is the only store that carries the product. I also have one prescription filled at the Wal-Mart pharmacy, again because of price. However, I simply HATE shopping at Wal-Mart and so you've just shown me a good reason to try out the Neighborhood Market. Thanks!

[Carolina Knight]

In the past few days, speculation has increased that The Kroger Company may acquire Bi-Lo Holdings, both Bi-Lo and Winn Dixie.

This would be an interesting move with Harris Teeter already returning to the Greenville area and the upstate South Carolina market.

Further reading:
Kritzer, Ashley Gurbal. "Kroger looking to bag a major acquisition - could buying Bi-Lo/Winn-Dixie land it in Florida?" Tampa Bay Business Journal. 2015-01-18. Accessed 2015-01-20. <http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/morning-edition/2015/01/kroger-looking-to-bag-a-major-acquisition-could.html>

[tylerSC]

Originally Posted by Carolina Knight

In the past few days, speculation has increased that The Kroger Company may acquire Bi-Lo Holdings, both Bi-Lo and Winn Dixie.

This would be an interesting move with Harris Teeter already returning to the Greenville area and the upstate South Carolina market.

Further reading:
Kritzer, Ashley Gurbal. "Kroger looking to bag a major acquisition - could buying Bi-Lo/Winn-Dixie land it in Florida?" Tampa Bay Business Journal. 2015-01-18. Accessed 2015-01-20. <http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/morning-edition/2015/01/kroger-looking-to-bag-a-major-acquisition-could.html>

This would allow Harris Teeter to expand in the Upstate, as so far only Lewis Plaza has been announced.

[Carolina Knight]

Harris Teeter may have seven additional stores planned for the upstate, not just in the Greenville area, but within the regional market. I do not know where these store sites are.

If Kroger acquires Bi-Lo, it would not make sense to have Super Bi-Lo coexist with Harris Teeter. These stores could be converted to Harris Teeter, or they can revert back to Bi-Lo.

[USNRET04]

There are several other chains that could move to SC that have a regional presence already, such as Sprouts Farmers Market (GA) for example. A lot of folks wish Wegmans would come, but as of now, the farthest south they go is Virginia.

I certainly could see opportunities for TraderJoes to add one or two more locations in the Upstate.

[Carolina Knight]

Sprouts Farmers Market has five stores in Georgia. Its ingress to the upstate South Carolina region will intensify competition in the specialty grocer category with The Fresh Market, Whole Foods Market and Earth Fare. Its "Site Selection" page provides detail in what goes into selecting a site for a new store.