Delhaize America announced this morning that it plans to close 126 under-performing stores in this year’s first quarter as part of its “new game plan which is aimed at accelerating profitable growth.” Stores set to close include 113 in the Food Lion chain, 7 in the Bloom chain and 6 in the Bottom Dollar chain.
The two Pennsylvania closings are the Food Lion stores in Sinking Spring and Shippensburg. No stores are slated to close in Delaware, which has a number of Food Lion locations. Several Food Lion stores remain in the Harrisburg, PA market.
According to its website, Food Lion operates approximately 1,300 stores in 11 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar, Harvey’s and Reid’s. According to a Delhaize Group press release, the company has experienced excellent fourth quarter revenue growth at Bottom Dollar stores in the Philadelphia region. In addition, it plans to open 14 new Bottom Dollar stores in the first quarter of 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown, OH, and 10-15 more stores in its “newer markets” by year-end.
