Renovation Report: From Bi-Lo to Publix

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MATTHEWS – Publix, like many companies, prides itself on offering consistency to customers across hundreds of stores in multiple states.

That’s easy to do when Publix is building stores from the ground up, based on store prototypes. The company then knows things like where it will put the deli section, how big the wine section will be and how many aisles are needed.

But when Publix came into the Charlotte area and bought seven local Bi-Lo stores last year to transform into Publix, the company wasn’t getting stores that fit these predetermined prototypes. The renovations required creativity and, in some cases, expansion.

“The store we bought in Rock Hill (S.C.) is 63,000 square feet and we don’t typically build that big,” said Kim Reynolds of the Publix Charlotte office. “Typically the stores we build are between 49,000 and 53,000 square feet.

“So, when we buy existing stores we get creative. In Rock Hill, we expanded our grocery section. We were able to increase the product we have. We’ll have an expanded selection of ethnic products, and more health and wellness product.”

The Rock Hill store, which was among the seven Bi-Lo stores Publix bought in the fall, opened its doors last week. The other stores included in that deal were another location in Rock Hill, two in Charlotte, one in Huntersville, one in Lake Wylie, S.C., and one in Matthews.

The Matthews store will be the next location Publix finishes and is expected to be open at the end of April. Construction on that 58,000-square-foot store, at 3110 Fincher Farm Road, began in October. The Matthews location also differed from the Publix prototypes.

“In Matthews, our wine section – based on the space – we put it in the center of the store instead of in a corner to the left, which is where we would usually put it,” Reynolds said.

But in the end, the stores will all become recognizably Publix, mainly because the company doesn’t keep much, if anything, from the previous stores, Reynolds said.

“Once we’ve bought the location, we look at cost-saving measures and see what we can save,” Reynolds said. “Can we save some things, or do we need to tear it down and really make it our own? It’s rare we would keep those stores intact.”

Both the Rock Hill and Matthews locations required a complete gut, which means taking out everything except the four walls. Reynolds said the flooring and equipment were all removed in the renovation.

Reynolds said buying existing stores isn’t business as usual for Publix, which prefers to build new or renovate its own stores. The only other instance in which Publix bought existing locations was in Florida when the company bought a number of Anderson’s grocery stores, she said.

“We knew we wanted to aggressively grow in North Carolina and South Carolina,” she said. “So that was a great opportunity because it allows us to serve more customers more quickly.

“The challenge – it can be a fun challenge – is we realize that there are customers that are shopping in that store before (Publix buys it) and we realize that’s an inconvenience for them and we hope that they know our goal is to get the stores open as quickly as possible.”

Project description: Publix is in the process of renovating seven former Bi-Lo stores and converting them to Publix.

Next store to finish: Matthews location

Address: 3110 Fincher Farm Road

Cost: $3.3 million, according to Mecklenburg County building permit records

Square footage: 58,000

Construction started: October

Expected opening: End of April

Contractor: Benning Construction Co.