Dive Brief:
- Alex Lee Retail, the parent company of Lowes Foods and Kj’s Market, plans to shutter three stores by the end of August, according to a Tuesday press release.
- The closures will impact two Lowes Foods stores in North Carolina — one in Wilmington and one in Raleigh — and a Kj’s Market in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
- Alex Lee is working to offer positions at other stores "where possible" to employees at the locations slated to close, Lowes President and Alex Lee Head of Retail Tim Lowe said in the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Alex Lee did not say why it decided to stop operating the three stores beyond noting that it is making changes as part of a “broader growth strategy.”
The company said it is also investing in new stores and remodels as part of that strategy, noting in the announcement that it has refreshed two Kj’s Markets in Florence, South Carolina, during the last year. In addition, Alex Lee plans to renovate a Kj’s on Kelley Street in Lake City, South Carolina, in the coming months.
Lowes Foods, which operates more than 80 supermarkets in the Carolinas, opened a store in Aiken, South Carolina, on Thursday, marking the chain’s debut in the Augusta, Georgia, metropolitan area. The banner has several store openings coming up in Concord, Kannapolis, and Waxhaw, North Carolina; and in Indian Land, and Lexington, South Carolina.
The grocer opened stores in Winterville, North Carolina, earlier this year and in Pittsboro, North Carolina, in 2023.
“Alex Lee Retail is deeply committed to providing an exceptional shopping experience for our guests, and we are excited about the future of Lowes Foods, Kj’s Market and our IGA locations as we continue to invest and build for future growth,” Lowe said.
