Food Lion this week announced it will remodel 105 stores in the greater Norfolk market in 2018, including stores in the Outer Banks. 

The $168 million capital investment will go towards remodeling the stores, lowering prices, expanding the assortment of products, hiring approximately 5,000 new associates and promoting current associates as well as additional community partnerships through Food Lion’s hunger-relief initiative Food Lion Feeds. 

Stores in Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills, Corolla, Nags Head, Avon, Grandy and Moyock are on the remodeling list. 

“Food Lion has been nourishing our neighbors in the greater Norfolk market for nearly 40 years, and we are excited to bring our newest shopping experience to this community,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “With every change, we have kept our customers at the forefront because we want to ensure they can easily find fresh, quality products to nourish their families at affordable prices every day, delivered with caring, friendly service every time they shop. We’re proud of our history in Hampton Roads and many of the surrounding communities, and we look forward to reintroducing our customers to their renovated stores later this summer.” 

Each of the 105 stores will remain open normal operating hours during the remodel process. Once complete, these locations will offer stores designed to be easier to navigate and shop so customers can get in and out of the store quickly. Additionally, they will offer an expanded assortment of products that are relevant to customers in each store, such as more local, natural, organic and gluten-free items. The stores will also feature new registers and enhanced customer service, the result of new customer-centric training for associates at every store. 

Twelve of the 105 stores will also feature walk-in garden coolers designed to keep produce fresher longer.  

All of Food Lion’s produce departments in this market will feature more organic options and convenient, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables prepared in-house daily. Additionally, six stores will include expanded deli departments that will offer items such as handmade artisan pizza, wing bar, premium coffee and soda station and more.  

Food Lion has remodeled 544 of its more than 1,000 stores across its 10-state operating area in the last four years. 

Food Lion, based in Salisbury since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 63,000 associates.