In separate announcements last week, Delhaize Group, parent company of Food Lion, Bottom Dollar and other supermarket brands, reported that it will eliminate the Bloom brand and open 14 new Bottom Dollar stores in the greater Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown, OH markets in the next three weeks.
The company currently has 49 Bloom locations, 42 of which will be converted to Food Lion and seven of which will close. Last year 15 Bloom stores were converted to Food Lion and one was closed.
Although Bottom Dollar stores are quickly growing in number in Pennsylvania and Ohio, 22 Bottom Dollar locations in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland will convert to Food Lion, and the six remaining stores will close. In total, the company is closing 164 locations, including Food Lion, Bloom and Bottom Dollar stores, and converting 64 Bloom and Bottom Dollar stores to Food Lion.
As for the new Bottom Dollar stores in the Pittsburgh and Youngstown markets, seven stores will open this Thursday, and seven more will open on February 9. According to its January 19 press release, “Bottom Dollar Food remains focused on continuing to expand in the greater Philadelphia market, which currently encompasses 24 stores in the state of Pennsylvania and five stores in New Jersey.”
