Food Lion, a grocery store chain with a presence in 10 Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states, makes continuous enhancements to meet the evolving needs of its customers. Greg Finchum, EVP of retail operations for the grocer, which is The Shelby Report’s 2024 Southeast Retailer of the Year, outlined the focus on being a leading omnichannel retailer and fostering a culture that invests in associate development.
Finchum said Food Lion continues to listen to its customers to deliver on their expectations. He noted the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of online grocery shopping and highlighted the need “for a robust omnichannel strategy.”
That growth came through Food Lion To Go in-store pickup and a partnership with Instacart for home delivery.
“I think at Food Lion, we did everything we could to meet [customers’] needs through what was certainly an unprecedented time,” Finchum said.
Food Lion is continuing to strengthen its omnichannel experience, whether online or in-store.
“We continue to deliver value in a way that enables [customers] to nourish their families to set them up for success in life. We’re proud to be an omnichannel retailer … We feel that it is absolutely a paramount business need for our customer today, and it’s our pleasure to deliver that.”
Finchum noted the brand offers Food Lion To Go Pickup and/or Home Delivery across its 10-state operating area.
The goal is to become fully integrated for the customer in all ways of digitally engaging with the Food Lion brand. To deliver the full breadth of the brand, he said it is “important that we meet customers’ changing needs.”
Not only is Food Lion looking at how technology can help its customers, but also support its associates. Finchum said having technology available in stores “creates for us a compelling case for the next generation of associates that we are evolving and becoming more modern inside of our store.”
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Investing in associates
Finchum noted that Food Lion’s 82,000 associates include every generation that’s available to the workforce. The company wants all associates to feel they are part of the Food Lion mission.
“We want associates across all generations working for or with us to be fulfilled in their roles and know they make a difference in the towns and cities we serve. By meeting our associates’ needs, we create an atmosphere where they meet the needs of our customers who count on us to help nourish their families.”
Food Lion has a consistency and cadence of dialogue across the entire organization around what matters to its associates and its customers, according to Finchum.
Food Lion invests in its associates through multiple development offerings, which create a space for leaders to come together.
“We know it’s very important we invest in associates in-person and on a regular basis. An email does not connect you to the vision of what you and your team can deliver for a customer,” he said. “Dialogue, interaction, aligning on the mission is what will move us forward, and that’s why it’s important to have a cadence to invest in our associates.
“We’re very proud of the work that we do to invest in our associates and to deepen their connection to our brand, as well as deepen their connection to the role we each play in our organization.”
Finchum noted Food Lion has a responsibility to “create opportunities for our associates.”
“Everybody matters,” he said. “Everybody has a role to play in delivering a great experience for a customer. The investments that we continue to make in our portfolio of stores and the customer experience continue to provide opportunities for folks to grow, have success and certainly meet the needs they have in their lives.”
According to Finchum, one of the habits that Food Lion has is to “make sure we say thank you to each other.” One way the company does this is through its awards programs: Count on me, Fresh@Home, Service Awards and Store Manager of the Year. Organizationally, Food Lion celebrates these recognitions on an annual basis, he said.
Finchum, who began working at Food Lion in 1989, shares his leadership perspective.
“We’ve got to be great teachers, not tellers. We’ve got to be curious leaders not conclusive leaders, and I think that’s what’s required in this world today.”
This approach empowers associates to take ownership of their roles and contribute their perspectives. Finchum said the goal is to create an environment where associates feel motivated to deliver exceptional customer service and “create a little oasis of goodness that customers can count on at Food Lion.”
