Sunbury, Pa. — Weis Markets, Inc., a Mid-Atlantic food retailer, plans to convert 38 Food Lion supermarket locations to Weis Markets stores. The company has completed the purchase of these locations operating in the states of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, and plans to complete the conversion process by the end of October.
“Once the conversions are completed over the next 2 months, we will have nearly doubled our Maryland store count and expanded into Virginia and Delaware,” says Kurt Schertle, Weis Markets’ chief operating officer.
Weis Markets is planning to hire more than 2,000 current Food Lion employees. “We are reaching out to the Food Lion associates who work in these stores and look forward to hiring and ultimately welcoming them to our company,” continues Schertle. “It’s an exciting time for our company as we grow and expand into new territories, and we’re grateful to our associates and loyal customers for their continued support.”
In mid-September, Weis Markets converted Food Lion units in Cumberland, Frostburg, Owings Mill, Eldersburg and Reisterstown, Md., and reopened them on September 16, 2016. Next it converted Food Lion units in Columbia, Elkridge, Gaithersburg (2) and Mitchellville with plans to reopen them on September 23, 2016.
The newly converted stores will offer a variety of local products in addition to the more than 3,000 Weis brand products. Weis Markets has a long-standing history with local farmers and will continue to partner with local growers to provide shoppers with fresh and affordable food, including a wide selection of organic produce, baked goods, quality meats and fresh dairy items.
This is the company’s second major acquisition in 2016. In August, it completed the conversion of five Mars Super Markets in Baltimore County, Md. Once the deals are complete, Weis Markets will have increased the number of its operating stores by more than 25% and will operate 204 stores in seven states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia.
Weis Markets plans to close and reopen each location quickly and efficiently to ensure that customers are faced with little inconvenience. This process is expected to take less than a week for each location.
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets, Inc. is a Mid-Atlantic food retailer operating 166 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. For more information, visit WeisMarkets.com.
SOURCE: Weis Markets, Inc.