Progressive Grocer, a leading supermarket trade magazine, has named Matthews-based Harris Teeter its Retailer of the Year.
In announcing the award, Progressive Grocer praised Harris Teeter's performance. "We are extremely impressed by Harris Teeter’s overall excellence as an employer and merchant, as well as its abiding commitment to excellence in customer service and satisfaction and its aggressive stance to expand its geographic footprint into new marketing territories, all of which are certainly no easy feat in the present retailing climate," said editorial director Meg Major, in a statement.
She also said Harris Teeter's "customer-focused culture, which has been at the forefront of the company’s exemplary performance through the years," was another reason for the award. Harris Teeter will be featured on the cover of the October issue of Progressive Grocer.
And in other supermarket news, Austin-based Whole Foods is going to triple its store count, aiming for 1,000 total locations.The retailer will be opening more locations in smaller and underserved locations (maybe a couple more stores in Charlotte?).
“We’re accelerating growth,” co-CEO Walter Robb told Bloomberg News. “That’s going to take us places we have not been to before.” The retailer is on track for about $11.7 billion worth of sales this year.
At least one consultant told Bloomberg he questioned the strategy. “How successful are you going to be when you’re in a neighborhood that skews toward more middle-class or to people who shop more at a Save-A-Lot?” said Jack Horst, of Kurt Salmon. “Maybe they don’t need five different kinds of kale.”