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Food Lion's Bottom Dollar store in Frederick, Md., gets points for openness
(Frederick News-Post, The (Frederick, MD) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jul. 27--FREDERICK -- The first thing a shopper notices at the Bottom Dollar store on Crestwood Boulevard is the openness.
Unlike many stores where customers might have trouble getting through because of the tables and displays in the way, Bottom Dollar is open and airy.
"We've gotten high marks on how easy it is to shop in Bottom Dollar," said Tom Anderson, director of operations for Bottom Dollar.
Owned by Food Lion, the new type of store is designed to offer lower prices but a choice of products.
"We have 6,500 items in the store; a typical Food Lion has 25,000," Mr. Anderson said during a tour of the new supermarket on Wednesday.
The store, formerly a Food Lion, had been closed for five days to completely renovate the interior and add the new name outside.
A free membership card is required to shop in the store, Mr. Anderson said. When getting the card, a customer can agree to receive e-mails announcing special sales.
"We have everyday prices and 'while supplies last' prices," Mr. Anderson said.
The store had bought a large amount of local corn and was selling it Wednesday at a special price as long as the supply lasted. "Your typical store couldn't do that," Mr. Anderson said.
Customers also can bring advertisements from other stores. "If they find the exact thing here that is more expensive, we will sell it to them for one cent less than that," said Mr. Anderson.
He said the store keeps costs down by measures such as having customers bring their own bags. The store sells reusable plastic bags at 5 cents each, or provides free cardboard boxes.
Some products are also displayed in the cartons to save stocking time and money.
And there are no delis, pharmacies or bakeries in the Bottom Dollar store. There are, however, two butchers on duty who cut meat on site.
Part of the "ease of shopping" effort includes keeping even the top shelves of display racks within reach, and displaying prices in larger type. "We are proud of our prices," Mr. Anderson said.
The store, where workers wear T-shirts, has about 50 employees, Mr. Anderson said. "We have a brand manager, not a store manager. The idea is to get employees to realize they are part of a brand, not just a store, not just four walls," he said. The store is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Mr. Anderson said the store fits a niche. "You have the upper level stores, such as Bloom (also owned by Food Lion), and the traditional market and the lower ones such as Bottom Dollar," Mr. Anderson said.
Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Anderson was in Gaithersburg to open a Bottom Dollar and was heading to Sterling, Va., for another opening in the evening. The company has two Bottom Dollars in Laurel.
Food Lion remains the "store brand," while shoppers can find most national brands of items. A special "bargain basement" section in the central part of the store changes with seasons with items for back to school, Halloween, Christmas, etc.
The stores are also geared to the local shopping demographics.
"Here we have bok choy," Mr. Anderson said. "In North Carolina, they wouldn't know what bok choy is, so we would have collard greens," he said.
Food Lion, based in North Carolina and owned by Delhaize Group of Belgium, will be converting its stores on Yellow Springs Pike and in Walkersville to upscale Bloom stores. Other Food Lion stores in the area will undergo renovation but remain traditional markets.
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