Major grocery chain to close one of its Wilmington locations

One location of a grocery chain in Wilmington is scheduled to close soon.

Lowes Foods, located at 805 Pine Grove Drive, will close by the end of August, according to a news release from Capture Public Relations & Marketing. The decision is part of Alex Lee LLC, Lowes Foods parent company, and its broader company growth strategy.

“We are working closely with store hosts who work at the three stores slated to close to offer them positions at other stores where possible,” Tim Lowe, Head of Retail, and Alex Lee, President of Lowes Foods said in the release. “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.”

Other Lowes Foods locations in Wilmington are not affected. The grocery chain has several stores in New Hanover County, including on 2316 N. College Road (Murrayville), 341 College Road (University Commons shopping center) and 5309 Carolina Beach Road (Monkey Junction).

Stores are also in Leland, Southport, Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach and Hampstead.

Along with the Pine Grove location, two other stores, one in Raleigh and another in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, will also close as part of the portfolio adjustment, according to the release. A new store is expected to open in Aiken, South Carolina, on Thursday.

Several additional store openings are pending across North and South Carolina, including in Concord, Kannapolis, Waxhaw, Indian Land, and Lexington, according to the release. Alex Lee Retail has also renovated two Kj's Markets in Florence, South Carolina and will renovate a third in Lake City, South Carolina, within the coming months.

Lowes Foods expanded its presence in other areas of North Carolina, with a new store opening in Winterville earlier this year and another in Pittsboro in 2023, according to the release.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Major grocery chain to close one of its Wilmington locations