SALISBURY, N.C. -- Supermarket retailer Food Lion LLC has converted 40 of its stores in Maryland and Northern Virginia to the chain's smaller, convenience-focused Bloom format, reported The Charlotte Business Journal.
The company declined to disclose the cost of the conversion, said the report.
Bloom facilities feature a layout that places common items such as milk and bread at the front of the store. Customers can use a personal scanner to scan and bag items as they shop, reducing checkout time. The scanners also give shoppers [image-nocss] a running price total for their selections, the report said.
Food Lion launched its Bloom-branded stores in 2004 after nearly two years of research and analysis of customers and retail trends. The company tested-marketed the concept in Charlotte before trying it in other cities. Charlotte has five Bloom stores. The company also has seven Bloom stores in Greenville, S.C., bringing the total number of Bloom stores to 52.
Food Lion, Salisbury, N.C., is a subsidiary of Brussels, Belgium-based Delhaize Group. Food Lion operates more than 1,200 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys and Reid's in 11 southeastern and mid-Atlantic states.
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