Food Lion is giving away a truckload of free groceries to one neighborhood in Charlotte, and customers can make their case on the supermarket's Facebook page for their neighborhood.
The contest is open through Sept. 28. On Oct. 13, Food Lion plans to deliver groceries to residents in the winning neighborhood. The goods will be from the retailer's "my essentials" private label, and Food Lion said it expects to give away about 2,000 items.
The contest's official rules have a list of Charlotte area zip codes which are eligible for the contest. Entrants must describe why their neighborhood is special and deserves Food Lion groceries. Here are the judging criteria, if you're looking for a leg up: "The Judges will judge each Entry according to the following weighted factors: (1) theme: 40%; (2) creativity/originality: 20%; (3) emotionally engaging: 20%; and (4) overall impression: 20%."
Food Lion will also be donating $20,000 to local non-profits as part of the promotion.
The Salisbury-based grocer is in the midst of an effort to rebrand and overhaul its Charlotte-area stores. From a story we ran in July: "Food Lion, owned by Belgian grocery giant Delhaize Group, has dropped prices on 6,000 items, increased product variety and introduced fresher produce in 269 stores in the Carolinas, including 27 in Charlotte. Food Lion lost market share in the Charlotte region last year, falling from 19.2 percent of the market to 17.7 percent, according to data from Chain Store Guide. The company also closed more than 100 underperforming stores."