Harris Teeter and Food Lion are two fantastic stores to shop for groceries. But if you’re looking for the best deals, you should know which is cheaper.
Assuming you live close to both stores, you get to take your pick. Then, you can maximize your money when shopping for food and other items.
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How Do Harris Teeter and Food Lion Compare?
Harris Teeter is slightly more expensive than Food Lion. It also has more products for you to choose from, but there are more Food Lion locations. Both stores operate on the East Coast, but Food Lion is in more states than Harris Teeter.
Both stores can be the better choice for different people. Consider your needs to help choose where to buy your groceries.
Store Brand Pricing
Food Lion offers cheaper pricing on its brand in most categories. However, Harris Teeter takes the lead when it comes to frozen foods. You’ll save about $0.30 on average if you buy frozen goods at Harris Teeter
Depending on the type of item, you could save up to a third on other categories at Food Lion. If you want to consider numbers, the average savings range from $0.05 to over a dollar.
Of course, you could save even more if you buy something on sale. So be sure to check both stores to see if one is running a sale on the items you need.
Number of Products
If you want to do all of your grocery shopping in one place, you should consider how many products each store carries. You can find about 28,000 items at Food Lion and 30,000 at Harris Teeter.
Those numbers are pretty close, but Harris Teeter has a slight edge. Two thousand products might not sound like much, but it could make a big difference for some shoppers.
Now, numbers aren’t everything. Harris Teeter may have more products, but Food Lion may carry the brands you like. If you haven’t been to both stores, check them out to see if they sell the brands and sizes of items you prefer.
Product Recalls
The number of products may matter even less when you factor in recalls. Some manufacturers recall their products if they discover an issue. This can affect grocery stores, and you may want to know how likely another recall is to happen at either store.
Food Lion has had 12 recalls, while Harris Teeter has had 14. All of the recalls at both stores were for food and beverage items. Cosmetics, drugs, and other categories all appear to be pretty safe at both chains.
However, you should calculate the percentage of items recalled. Twelve of 28,000 items means Food Lion has a recall rate of 0.043%. On the other hand, Harris Teeter’s 14 recalls out of 30 items gives it a 0.046% recall rate. The difference is negligible between stores.
Locations
You’ll find 267 Harris Teeter stores across 109 cities and eight states. Those states include Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. North Carolina is home to a big percentage of those stores.
Food Lion has over 1,100 stores in 10 states. It operates in most of the same states as Harris Teeter, but you’ll find locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania as well. Almost half of the stores are in North Carolina.
Of course, your location may help you choose one store over the other. But if you live near both, you should look at the other factors to decide where you should spend your money.
Rewards Program
Harris Teeter has a rewards program, and you can join by getting a VIC card at your local store. Then, you can join the online program for more savings and other benefits. If you prefer a rewards credit card, Harris Teeter also has one of those.
Food Lion has its own rewards program that you can use online and in stores. When you earn a reward, you’ll automatically redeem it on the next purchase you make. You can also double your rewards by donating to their charity.
Both rewards programs are free to join, and you can use rewards to save money. Consider which benefits you prefer. That can help you choose one grocery store as your primary shop.
Working There
If you’re looking for a job, you may consider Harris Teeter and Food Lion. Both companies are pretty similar as far as how they treat and pay their employees. Cashiers make a little more at Food Lion, but associates and managers make the same at both places.
Harris Teeter has profit sharing and pays bonuses to employees. Food Lion employees love the flexible schedule the company offers. However, both companies offer low pay, and most positions are part-time.
You can search through tons of open positions at both stores. But if you need a full-time job with good pay and benefits, you probably won’t be happy at either company.
Shop at Both Harris Teeter and Food Lion
If you live near both stores, you can take advantage of sales at Harris Teeter and Food Lion. You can join the rewards programs to get more savings as well.
Is Harris Teeter Better Than Food Lion?
Harris Teeter charges a bit more than Food Lion for store-brand items. However, Food Lion has many more locations. Both have generous rewards programs, but neither is a great employer if you’re looking for work. However, you don’t have to stick to just one store as a customer.