Food Lion freshening up its produce offerings

Looking for crunchier lettuce or fewer brown bananas? Tired of cutting into avocados and finding them brown? Salisbury-based Food Lion is undertaking a major effort to ensure its produce is fresh, as well as expanding its selection, the company said Tuesday.

"We have made a new commitment to fresh produce," said Cathy Green Burns, Food Lion's president, in a statement. "We heard from our customers that they wanted fresher produce for their families. Today, we are taking additional steps to continually improve the quality and freshness of produce, and offer a wider selection."

The initiative is starting at 581 of Food Lion's stores, including those in and around Charlotte. The company expects to expand it next year.

Food Lion said the new program is a complete overhaul of its produce practices. The company is purchasing better produce, changing temperatures produce is stored at, and reducing the amount of time produce spends in distribution centers. Warehouse, transportation and in-store produce associates have had new training in better handling practices to improve produce freshness, the company said.

Food Lion is also adding more produce items, the company said, and starting a customer education program with tip cards on storing fresh produce. In-store signage in what the company calls its new "market" produce section includes tips such as storing potatoes in a perforated plastic bag in a cool, dark place to maintain freshness.

The grocer is also offering a double-money back guarantee on any produce customers are dissatisfied with.

Food Lion is owned by the Belgian supermarket conglomerate Delhaize, and the company operates 1,100 locations.

Carolina Beer Temple opening in Matthews

You might not have seen it at the end of my colleague Helen Schwab's excellent article about Charlotte's thriving craft beer scene, so I thought I'd highlight some of the news: A new craft beer store, the Carolina Beer Temple, is opening soon in Matthews.

The store is planned to open early next year. There will be 8 to 16 taps, the owners say, and half of those will be N.C. craft beers. Owners Rob and Megan Jacik don't know exactly how many different bottles they'll carry, but say they plan to focus on local beers, especially those that are hard to find in Charlotte.

Carolina Beer Temple will be in downtown Matthews, in the shopping center on Matthews Station Street.

Here's what the owners told Charlotte Beer: “With 70 breweries currently in operation in North Carolina we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fantastic if North Carolina embraced its beer industry in much the same way as Belgium?’” Rob said. “In an attempt to elevate the beer scene in North Carolina to a similar level as Belgium we felt our store should resonate with a similar reverence for the beers made here.”


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What does Obama's reelection mean for retailers?

What will a second term for President Barack Obama mean for retailers in the US? The National Retail Federation's take on things is a little glum, foreseeing likely higher costs from health care reform and a greater emphasis on labor issues that could make it easier for workers to unionize.

"The top issue facing our nation the day after the election is the same as it was the day before the election – the economy," NRF chief executive Matthew Shay said Tuesday morning, in a statement. "The U.S. needs public policy that encourages economic growth and removes barriers to job creation."

 In the NRF's view, Obama's reelection is likely to lead to faster implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and eliminate the possibility of its repeal. That could raise the cost of doing business for retailers who employ lots of part-time workers.

On labor relations, the Obama administration is seen as more sympathetic to employees: "Reelection will likely mean a more active labor agenda ahead...Some of the more controversial approaches taken by the National Labor Relations Board on ambush elections, micro-unions and union access to the workplace are already under legal challenge."

One area many bricks-and-mortar retailers are concerned with is making online companies pay state sales tax. The retailers badly want to see online businesses charge the same taxes, which they think will help level the playing field. That legislation could move forward, the NRF said: "A new bipartisan sales tax fairness bill, granting states’ authority to require online sellers to collect sales tax on all sales if certain simplifications are adopted, is expected to be released by cosponsors reconciling differences between the current House and Senate versions. As lead cosponsor of the Senate bill, Majority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., will continue his push to pass the legislation while fiscal cliff negotiations continue." 

An Obama administration could mean higher taxes on small businesses and high earners, the NRF says, although those are not completely certain as fiscal cliff negotiations begin. "Most of the $500 billion in tax increases are as a result of the expiration of the Bush tax cuts for individuals, and could have a substantial impact on consumer spending," the NRF warns.

Two other issues might not be as prominent in consumers' minds, but could still have a big impact on retailers. Cyber-security and  consumer privacy are both likely to be areas the administration focuses on, the NRF says: "This includes the administration’s efforts on the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, examination of mobile app privacy policies by the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. Privacy and data breach notification legislation will likely be reintroduced without many changes in both the House and Senate."

Family Dollar turns to 'sin items' for growth

There was an interesting story in Forbes on Tuesday about Matthews-based Family Dollar's increasing reliance on so-called "sin items," such as cigarettes, to sustain growth in the face of fiercer competition.

Family Dollar cigarette display

Since the recession, Family Dollar and its competitors, such as Dollar General and Dollar Tree, have enjoyed a major period of growth. Their sales have soared to record levels, they've added thousands of stores, and they're preparing to open thousands more over the coming years.

The reasons behind the dollar store boom are myriad. There are more people in poverty or struggling, and there are more people willing to "trade down" the stores they shop at to save money. The dollar stores have added better-quality items, and thousands of different items such as food, to drive repeat trips. Larger discount competitors, such as Wal-Mart, stumbled, and with more locations, dollar stores benefited from being closer to home in an era of rising gas prices.

But now, competition is heating up, especially from Wal-Mart. The world's largest retailer is opening more small-format stores, and that means dollar stores have to come up with more ways to lure customers. Enter alcohol and tobacco. As an analyst is quoted saying in the Forbes piece: “Any time you’re selling liquor or tobacco, it’s another reason to go into the store, (they're)...addictive repeat purchases.”

Steve Smith's sandwich debuts at Harris Teeter

Smith catching a delicious sub

"The Smitty" is coming to Charlotte-area Harris Teeter stores, and it's being billed as Steve Smith's "personally designed Signature Sub Sandwich which is guaranteed to fill even the largest appetite."

Designed in conjunction with Harris Teeter, the sub will cost $3.99, Harris Teeter said. It will include: "Pastrami and Genoa Salami with cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and a light brushing of mustard on toasted sourdough bread."

On Election Day (Tuesday Nov. 6), Smith will be at the Morrocroft Harris Teeter promoting his new sub. He'll be there during the lunch hour, from noon to 1 p.m. He'll be signing autographs, although presumably not on the subs themselves. Harris Teeter is likely glad Smith didn't get traded this year.


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Survey's in: Men plan to spend more on holiday shopping

A new survey from Mint.com shows some interesting trends in holiday shopping: Men plan to spend more, on average, but women plan to start earlier.

Men surveyed plan to spend &775.78, while women in the survey plan to spend $724.23 on gifts. Out of that total spending, men said they plan to spend slightly less on gifts for family members ($416) than women do ($427), but more on gifts for friends ($89 v. $62) and co-workers ($30 v. $17).

Part of the reason for the discrepancy could be that women are simply thriftier. Of those surveyed, 60.7 percent of men said they planned to shop in discount stores, compared with 69.7 percent of women. Men are also more likely to shop at electronics stores (38.7 percent v. 25.4 percent), which could lead to more big ticket purchases by men.

Another could be that women start their shopping earlier, on average, than men. By November, 46.4 percent of women have already started their shopping, compared with 35.9 percent of men. And almost twice as many men, 4.6 percent, plan to wait until the last two weeks of December. Just 2.5 percent of women say they're going to wait that long.

How about you? Have you started shopping yet? If you're a guy, do you think you'll spend more than the women in your life on the holidays (or vice versa)?

Tax holiday for Energy Star this weekend

Energy-efficient appliances will be sales-tax free this weekend, from Friday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 4.

In Mecklenburg County, that means saving 7.25 percent in taxes on Energy Star-rated appliances. That equates to $72.5 on a $1,000 purchase, which isn't too shabby. The sales tax holiday covers washing machines, freezers, refrigerators, central air conditioners, room air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats

A few conditions to note:

•  There is no price floor or ceiling for qualifying purchases. 
• Appliance rentals are not covered.
• Appliance deliveries that are delayed due to stocking issues are still covered, but not if the customer requests delayed delivery. From the Department of revenue: "An item is eligible for the exemption if the customer pays for it during the holiday period and the retailer accepts the order and takes an action to fill the order for immediate delivery."
• Purchases by businesses aren't exempt. The sales tax holiday covers only individuals.