Food Lion to Initially Limit Self-Scanners to 14 Bloom Stores in D.C. Area

SALISBURY, N.C. - Food Lion here plans to initially offer self-scanner devices to shoppers of 14 Bloom stores it is opening in the Washington market, which encompasses northern Virginia and parts of Maryland and West Virginia, according to Karen Peterson, Food Lion's special projects manager, corporate communications. Food Lion is in the process of converting 40 Food Lion stores to Bloom outlets in the Washington market; so far 27 have been converted. "While all of our stores in the Washington, D.C., market area will be wired for the scanners, not all will offer them initially," she said in an email. "We're testing in that area." Food Lion also operates five Bloom stores in Charlotte, N.C. and five in Greenville, S.C., all of which offer the scanners. The scanners enable shoppers to scan and bag products during the shopping trip, expediting the checkout process. Michael Garry