Food Lion made very few changes inside the store. Here’s the new store’s deli/bakery section, which looks about the same as it did when BI-LO was in business. (Photo by Josh Heath)
Editor’s Note: We sent Josh Heath back to the Bi-Lo\Food Lion just a few weeks after he wrote the story of the Bi-Lo closing. Here is what we found.
There’s a new Food Lion store open at 2803 Wrightsboro Road in the Daniel Village Shopping Center, but it doesn’t resemble other grocery stores in the chain. Instead, it looks much like the building’s previous tenant – BI-LO – which has recently closed all its stores nationwide, including several in the CSRA.
That’s because it was a BI-LO until March 28 and reopened as a Food Lion on April 14 – about two weeks later. The new tenant made very few changes besides adding the new store’s signage. Food Lion kept the deli/bakery, produce, meat, and dairy departments exactly the same, which is something Geraldine Jones appreciates. Jones has lived near Daniel Village since 1975 and was one of BI-LO’s frequent shoppers. “I miss BI-LO, but I like both stores,” she says. “This store is set up like a BI-LO.”
Food Lion opened its new store in Daniel Village on April 14, replacing BI-LO, which operated in that retail space for many years. One change Food Lion made was replacing the old signage. (Photo by Josh Heath)
Food Lion, which has numerous stores in both Georgia and the Carolinas, is known for its low prices, thanks to the MVP Card program. But many may not know how much the chain gives back to communities through the Food Lion Feeds initiative, which supports various charities. For example, the company helps the Golden Harvest Food Bank fulfill its mission to relieve hunger in the CSRA, according to Ann Snyder, Golden Harvest’s director of marketing. “Food Lion partners with us to provide us with food donations,” says Snyder. Specifically, she explains that stores donate food items, such as bread, dairy, and produce, that they can’t sell, often because the items are very close to their expiration date.
But that’s not the only way the company helps the nonprofit. “We can apply for a grant, and they help us with funding to support our mission,” Snyder explains. She says Food Lion also runs various cause marketing campaigns for Golden Harvest, which means every time a customer buys certain products, the company donates to their cause. “It’s been going on for many, many years,” Snyder says. “We are the CSRA food bank, so we have that local partnership with them.”
