Food Lion plans to open six new grocery stores across Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina by December, a direct expansion into markets long dominated by Publix.
The grocery chain's president, Greg Finchum, announced the rollout in a company press release, calling the push part of a broader plan to open 10 new stores by the end of 2026. The first location opens September 23 in Summerfield, North Carolina, with five more following in quick succession through December.
For shoppers in the Southeast, the expansion means more competition in a region where Publix has held an outsized grip on the grocery market. Food Lion is betting that affordable prices and delivery options can pry open doors in communities where choices have been limited, or where a single chain has set the terms.
The schedule is aggressive. After the Summerfield opening on September 23, a Charlotte, North Carolina, store follows on October 7. A week later, on October 14, a new location opens in Lavonia, Georgia. Three more South Carolina stores, in Greenville, Hilton Head, and Wren, are slated for October, November, and December, respectively.
That pace puts Food Lion on track to meet its stated goal of 10 total new stores by year's end. The company has not disclosed how many of the remaining four locations have already opened or where they sit.
Finchum framed the growth as customer-driven. The Sun reported his comments from the company's announcement:
"Each new store is designed to meet our customers' evolving needs."
He added that the chain's associates "look forward to welcoming neighbors into these new stores and continuing to nourish families with the easy and affordable shopping experience they count on from Food Lion."
Beyond brick-and-mortar expansion, Food Lion is layering in home delivery through its Food Lion To Go website and app. The chain also partners with Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats, a three-pronged delivery setup that mirrors the convenience model larger competitors have spent years building.
For families in smaller markets like Lavonia, Georgia, or Wren, South Carolina, that kind of access matters. Rural and exurban communities often sit outside the delivery radius of major grocery competitors. Food Lion's willingness to plant stores in those towns, and wire them for delivery, could fill a real gap.
The company also said the new stores would support local food banks and community partners, though it did not name specific organizations.
Finchum did not limit his ambitions to this calendar year. He told reporters the current growth wave is just the start:
"The growth we're experiencing in 2026 creates strong momentum for next year and beyond."
That language suggests Food Lion's parent company sees the Southeast grocery map as far from settled. Publix remains the dominant player in the region, but its own footprint has shown signs of both growth and contraction, expanding in some markets while pulling back in others.
Food Lion's bet is straightforward: open stores where families need affordable groceries, offer delivery so they do not have to drive 20 minutes for a gallon of milk, and build loyalty before a bigger chain fills the gap. In a region where grocery prices still pinch household budgets, that is a bet worth watching.
Competition lowers prices and expands choices. Southeastern shoppers could use more of both.