Publix, Wegmans & Food Lion grocery stores share plans for Triangle expansion, investment

More than a dozen national and regional grocery chains operate stores in the Triangle.

North Carolina-based Food Lion has dozens of stores in the Raleigh and Durham area. New York-based Wegmans has four across Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Wake Forest and Cary. Carlie C’s IGA, another retailer with North Carolina roots, has locations in Raleigh, Durham and Zebulon.

Three grocers in particular — Food Lion, Wegmans and Publix — have some of the highest market shares in the Raleigh and Durham/Chapel Hill areas, according to a Chain Store Guide report released earlier this year. In both regions, Food Lion holds the third-highest market share, and Wegmans holds the sixth-highest. Publix ranks No. 7 in Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties but falls in the rankings in Orange, Durham, Chatham and Person counties, where it only has one store.

As the Triangle’s population increases, it needs someone to feed it.

Here’s how three popular Triangle grocers are investing in current footprints and expanding to meet the growing needs of local communities.

Food Lion focuses on revamping existing stores

Food Lion has been in the Raleigh area for nearly 50 years. The first area store opened in 1975, and since then, the chain has expanded to dozens of locations.

Food Lion President Meg Ham attributed the grocer’s market-share ranking to its commitment to the area, exemplified by its partnerships with local food banks and its selection of locally-sourced products.

When it comes to future growth, Ham said the company considers “white space” — where the grocer’s competition is and where the population is growing.

There aren’t plans to open stores in any particular locations, but Ham said Food Lion is enhancing the stores it already has, including by investing $350 million to remodel stores in the Raleigh and Durham areas. Those remodels will be completed in August.

New decor and new ways to shop, such as self-checkout and Food Lion To-Go pickup and home delivery, are being added to stores. Food Lion is also vamping up its product assortment, and Ham said the grocer is paying particular attention to ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals.

“Everywhere you look in Raleigh/Durham, I think we’re putting our best foot forward to strengthen our position there,” Ham said.

Wegmans shares opening date for new Holly Springs store

When Wegmans opened its first North Carolina store in Raleigh in 2019, road signs warned drivers to expect delays the weekend of the debut.

About 3,000 people waited in line to get inside the store the morning of opening day, and more than 30,000 visited the Wake Towne Drive location that day — both records for the company at the time.

The Raleigh location, the 100th Wegmans store, was joined by three others in the Triangle within just a few years.

News of a Wegmans location coming to Holly Springs has been circulating since 2019. Plans filed with the town showed a rendering for a 99,000-square-foot store, with the Wegmans name appearing on the documents. At that time, the grocer wouldn’t confirm whether it would build a Holly Springs store.

Months later, The News & Observer reported that the Holly Springs Town Council had approved a development plan for a new Wegmans store.

So when will Holly Springs shoppers get their Wegmans? A public relations representative for Wegmans said in an email that the grocer is “currently aiming for a 2027 opening” for the Holly Springs store. It will be at NC Hwy 55 and Ralph Stephens Road.

The design details haven’t been finalized yet, the public relations representative said, but the store “will include all the traditional departments” found in other Raleigh-area locations.

Publix continues expansion with 3 new Triangle stores

First established in Florida nearly 100 years ago, Publix debuted in the Triangle in 2014, with a location in Cary. The grocer has since added locations in Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Clayton and Wendell.

And more are on the way.

Publix plans to open three new stores in Wake and Johnston counties. One will be at 821 S. Main St. in Rolesville, another will be at 16100 NC Hwy 50 North in Garner, and the third will be at 7330 Buffaloe Road in Raleigh.

All of these locations are on schedule to open in 2025, and each will employ about 140 associates, a media relations manager told The News & Observer in an email.

When the three stores open, Publix will have 13 locations in the Triangle.

This story was originally published June 18, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Publix, Wegmans & Food Lion grocery stores share plans for Triangle expansion, investment."

Renee Umsted

The News & Observer

919-419-6579

Renee Umsted is The News & Observer’s Affordability Reporter. She writes about what it costs to live in the Triangle, with a consumer-focused approach. She has a degree in journalism from TCU.