Store wars.

• Position: Charlotte

Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc., born in Charlotte and now based in the Queen City suburb of Matthews, has long dominated the upper end of the grocery market in and around its hometown, but a new rival from the Sunshine State is threatening its turf. Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. opened two stores just across the state line in Fort Mill and Indian Land, S.C., in October and plans to open one in south Charlotte--its first in North Carolina--by early 2014. Harris Teeter. which did not respond to an email seeking comment, recently has been paying more attention to its hometown, renovating several stores in the region and, this summer, buying 10 from Winston-Salem-based Lowe's Foods Stores Inc. (Regional Report, July). Andrew Wolf, an analyst with. BB&T Capital Markets, told Supermarket News the acquisition not only bolstered market share in the region but blocked Publix from entering Charlotte "via a strategic deal, at least in the near term." Publix operates in fewer states than Harris Teeter but has fivefold its stores and nearly seven times its sales.

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Suiting...