Food Lion

I don’t usually comment on grocery stores. I mean lets face it, there is a bunch of inventory on the shelves and you usually load up on what you need and head out. This place is much the same as the rest but the one thing I have noticed is that the staff here is friendly as can be. Every time I’m in here they ask, very sincerely, if there is anything I need help with and are always smiling. Just nice to go to a grocery store where, even if the veggies are mediocre, to have a staff that doesn’t make you feel like all they care about is punching a clock.

June2012’ corporate made this store clean up and I think changed management. The store is the nicest I have ever seen it. The efforts have made a huge difference in the way that I think of the store and the staff. The previous manager seemed to not put enough emphasis on cleanliness and order. I asked the clerks what happened and one told me that they were told to clean up or be replaced.
I say good for corporate taking a stand and showing they were serious about shopper safety and comfort.

In all the years that I have lived within just a few minutes of this Food Lion, I have probably made dozens of stops at this location. Yet in all those stops, I could add the receipts together and it is very likely that they would not total even a single regular trip to the grocery store. Even to Aldi.
Why? I have no idea. I understand that I do not live quite close enough to this location to make it for a regular visit. That part is easy. But why is it that I am close enough to go in here so often, only to pick up two or three items? It is just crazy.
The store itself is not bad, and the parking lot, unlike so many in Charlotte, is actually fairly easy to navigate. You have simple access via Highway 51, and if you want to take a little detour, you can get in or out via Idlewild Road as well. I just wish I could understand why I get here so frequently when I live nowhere nearby.

How do you rate a grocery store? I’ve been shopping at this location ever since I moved to Matthews about 5 years ago. The management at Food Lions change about every 2 – 3 years you’ll see a new manager trying to all of a sudden make it a happier place to shop. Usually the old manager has been moved to a different store. I actually worked for food lion for a couple of years, so I have some experience with the frustration that the staff deal with on a daily basis.
The Food Lion at Hoods Crossroads is usually pretty clean. The produce section isn’t up to HT standards but decent enough where you can find the simple things you need to get by. They actually do have a decent wine selection along with a specialty foods aisle.
The cashiers range from teenagers that don’t care to moms that are picking up work to bring in some extra income for their family. The moms are usually more considerate and take their time making sure your coupons went through on your order. The ladies in the deli are really nice and always promote the specials over the intercom so you know what’s on sale in the deli.
Food Lion in no way is a high quality grocery store. It’s a grocery store where you can find your staple items and sometimes closeout deals for a relatively inexpensive price.