Thread: NC- Food Lion caters to Latinos

Food Lion caters to Latinos

10 more Triangle grocery stores will switch to the successful format
BY SUE STOCK - Staff Writer

Published: Sat, Jul. 11, 2009 05:53AM
Modified Sat, Jul. 11, 2009 05:53AM



A year after it began testing a new store format geared toward Hispanic shoppers, Food Lion is expanding it in two more North Carolina markets and making plans to convert 10 more Triangle stores.

Responding in part to growth in the more than $30 billion Hispanic grocery market, the Salisbury-based grocer began testing the format in August of last year, converting five Triangle stores into ones carrying a much wider array of Hispanic products.

Along with significantly bulked-up selections of dry goods such as beans, tortillas and spices, the stores also carry cuts of meat and produce items popular with Hispanic shoppers.



The employees at those stores also undergo training both in the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.

In-store signs and television advertisements marketed directly to Hispanic households tout Food Lion's message of "Sabor Latino," which means "Latin Flavor."

Marketing manager Daniel Herrera declined to offer specifics but said the five stores are "performing extremely well" -- well enough that officials feel comfortable expanding the test program.

Last week, the company opened 13 stores in the Piedmont area all featuring the Hispanic focus, and it didn't take long to see a sales increase.

"The key elements get translated into results almost within a week," Herrera said. "This community is really tight, and the word of mouth travels very quickly."

Food Lion will convert another 22 stores, including 10 in the Triangle, this month, with plans to reopen those stores officially on Aug. 12.

It will also revamp 19 stores in the Charlotte market this summer, reopening those in September.

When all of those conversions have been done, 59 stores, or roughly 10 percent of Food Lion's 503 North Carolina locations, will have the Hispanic focus.

Herrera declined to say how much the store conversions cost or to comment on any plans to expand the new store model further.

The move is a smart one being made by several grocery store chains nationally, said Bill Greer, spokesman for the Food Marketing Institute.

At the very least, most retailers are placing more emphasis on ethnic groceries, he said, citing the institute's annual study on the grocery business, which showed that 61.8 percent of food retailers are increasing ethnic products as a competitive strategy.

"The demand is strong," Greer said. "Food is a very important part of the Hispanic culture. ... We've had several mainstream chains develop whole formats around Hispanic food."

And, Greer added, Hispanic products are also getting a boost from non-Hispanic customers looking for new options.

"Hispanic foods in many respects have gone mainstream."


http://www.newsobserver.com/business/nc ... 03464.html

Why is it this group is continually singled out for special treatment? I do feel like I am getting shoved aside as an American, both figuratively and sometimes literally by the screaming mobs of kids going wild.
With Hispanics being catered to on a larger scale, there is no need to assimilate into this culture at all and my patience is growing very thin with the cultural divide we are creating.
Think I can find a nice smelt, freshly-baked rye bread, or a jar of herring in wine sauce anywhere?

Originally Posted by vortex

Why is it this group is continually singled out for special treatment? I do feel like I am getting shoved aside as an American, both figuratively and sometimes literally by the screaming mobs of kids going wild.
With Hispanics being catered to on a larger scale, there is no need to assimilate into this culture at all and my patience is growing very thin with the cultural divide we are creating.
Think I can find a nice smelt, freshly-baked rye bread, or a jar of herring in wine sauce anywhere?

You are right, this is a recipie for disaster. Our country is divided more than at the time of the Civil War. I only see bad things ahead. Why would the traitors in Washington want to divide us ? They have destroyed the American culture. This is why its hard to buy ammo and guns now. I think bad things are on the horizon. I just hope people heer are ready.

The above Link received a 404 error; the following link worked:

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/nc ... 03464.html

The real issue is--that the supposed decline in the illegal population is not happening. If it were, do you think Food Lion, an old, established company would be spending time and money to change its products? Remember, it is the Main Stream Media that is telling you the illegals are departing. Have they presented any truths in the past 10 years??

I was in Westchester New York last week andwas shocked at the number of Hispanics I saw. They have taken over Mount Kisco and adjoining towns. I went to Danbury Connecticut and did not see many pale faces at all.

From what I saw there and in other areas over my summer vacations, I would guess that the estimate of 12 million is understated by half. This old man's guess is that the number is about 30 million.

Here's a scary thought for you--If they were armed, they could easily conquer all of the areas I visited. We, I guess, should be grateful they are only taking jobs, welfare, education and health care. Were they to be armed, they would be able to take it all.

Of course the more the Elitist Special Interest Groups financially benefit from the ILLEGALS the more money that is poured into the coffers of the Elitist Politicians to support the ILLEGALS but this is really not new, the Chamber of Commerce has always been working in support of the ILLEGALS. The ILLEGALS are comfortable with pushing ahead of everyone else including U.S. Citizens who do not receive the same preferential treatment in all areas. U.S. Citizens have already lost “entry levelâ€

The following link displays Food Lions "Espanol" section of the their " http://www.foodlion.com/ " website with a list of all North Carolina Food Lions that cater to the ILLEGALS:

http://www.foodlion.com/Espanol/

Remember, we don't hate Hispanics, and not all Latino's are illegal aliens.

Furthermore, I guess Food Lion can cater to whomever they want. Last time I checked it was a free country. They have the right to choose the shoppers they want to cater to and we have the right to shop where we want. Sorry, but that's what having the freedom of choice is all about.

Okay, I'm now going to exit my devil's advocate roll........

Personally, I hope this choice causes Food Lion to fall flat on their face. In a perfect world there will be no illegal alien amnesty, Republican's will take control of the Congress in 2010 (the newly elected being anti-illegal immigration), the immigration enforcement vice (or vise) will tighten to unheard of levels, E-verify will become mandatory for all businesses, birth right citizenship we end, and the border will actually be secured. If this happens Food Lion will see it's Hispanic customer base erode because over 80% of the illegal aliens in this country are Hispanic.

Hart-Celler Act hearings 1965

Quote:

Senate immigration subcommittee chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA.) reassured his colleagues and the nation with the following:

"First, our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually. Under the proposed bill, the present level of immigration remains substantially the same ... Secondly, the ethnic mix of this country will not be upset ... Contrary to the charges in some quarters,[the bill] will not inundate America with immigrants from any one country or area, or the most populated and deprived nations of Africa and Asia ... In the final analysis, the ethnic pattern of immigration under the proposed measure is not expected to change as sharply as the critics seem to think."

Sen. Kennedy concluded by saying,

"The bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs." (U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 1965. pp. 1-3.)

1986:

"This amnesty will give citizenship to only 1.1 to 1.3 million illegal aliens. We will secure the borders henceforth. We will never again bring forward another amnesty bill like this."

-- Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy on the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

http://www.topix.com/forum/colleges/mas ... BDT7AQIBSK

NO, I do not hate "Hispanic" but unless naive one can certainly determine the target of the Food Lion initiative; they could not support their effort by catering to U.S. Citizens or legal immigrants of Hispanic origin without specifically going after the ILLEGALS.