Lowes Foods announces new store openings and closings

Lowes Foods revealed Wednesday it is adjusting its portfolio of stores as it readies for expansion in South Carolina and Georgia, but has closures planned in Virginia and North Carolina.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Lowes Foods will open a fifth store in the Charleston market in Summerville, South Carolina. The 50,887-square-foot store is slated to open in 2025 and will anchor a new retail center in Berkeley County.

Making its first entry into the state of Georgia, Lowes Foods recently acquired Foothills IGA Market in Marble Hill.

“The store will continue to operate as an IGA for the next few months and will become a Lowes Foods store sometime in early 2024,” Lowes Foods said in a statement.

In addition to Summerville and Marble Hill, Lowes Foods previously announced new stores in Aiken, South Carolina and Kannapolis, Concord, Indian Land, and Winterville, North Carolina.

“Our coming stores in Summerville and Georgia will be important areas of growth for our company, and we’re excited about our continuing expansion in those markets,” said Tim Lowe, head of retail for parent company Alex Lee and president of Lowes Foods, in a statement.

The grocery retailer, known to support local farmers and vendors, closed its store in Stuart, Virgnia, citing in a press release that Food Country had purchased the location last month.

“We also are pleased that Food Country has agreed to work to retain our employees in Stuart as our store there becomes part of the Food Country brand,” Lowe said in a statement.

The closing of the Winston-Salem chain’s store in Yadkniville, North Carolina, will be at the end of this month.

Lowes Foods is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alex Lee Inc.