Yahoo Finance Why it took Wegmans 7 years to move into Charlotte, and what happens next
Why now and what’s next for Wegmans?
Those are among the questions being asked around town now that Wegmans Food Markets is finally coming to Charlotte. After years of intense speculation, the Rochester, New York-based company announced Monday that it will open a 110,000-square-foot supermarket in two years at North Community House Road in south Charlotte.
Wegmans will open on the east side of Ballantyne as part of Northwood Investors’ development project.
NO MORE RUMORS: After years of speculation, Wegmans finally confirms Charlotte plans
Here’s how Charlotte landed its first Wegmans store, why now and what’s next:
Seven years in the making
Talks began in March or April 2017, soon after Northwood acquired Ballantyne, Clifton Coble, senior vice president of development for Northwood Investors LLC told The Charlotte Observer.
The development plan included a grocery store. “We had a lot of (grocers) reach out to us,” Coble said.
Wegmans officials reached out to Coble directly, he said. And since then, through Ballantyne Reimagine development rezonings, Coble said he kept a “close connection with Wegmans.”
Wegmans search in Charlotte heated up after opening its first North Carolina store in Raleigh in 2019. But the process to finalize a deal with Wegmans really sped up over the last six months, Coble said.
Plans for Wegmans still require city approval to purchase 14 acres from Northwood.
As a commercial real estate, Coble said he’s used to keeping a lid on prospective commercial retail developments. “We worked hard with them as a partner and didn’t say anything,” Coble said. “I’ve worked on it every single day to make it happen.”
Why now is the time right for Wegmans in Charlotte?
Wegmans recently expanded its Ashland, Virginia, warehouse after opening four stores in Raleigh, Wegmans N.C. District Manager Hallie Johnston told The Charlotte Observer. The facility is expected to be fully operational this year and employ 500 people, according to the Wegmans’ website.
“We heard the demand loud and clear from social media and customer comments,” she said. “We’re ready.”
A Wegmans store typically hires about 400 to 500 full- and part-time employees, Johnston said. Some Wegmans’ workers are expected to relocate to Charlotte from other store locations.
Where exactly will Wegmans open?
Wegmans will open on the eastern side of Ballantyne, north of Gibson Building at 11430 N Community House Road, Coble said.
There is not an exact address yet. Site plans for the free-standing building are still under development and should be finalized within the next month or so to submit to the city for permits.
Wegmans did not answers Observer questions about how much the 108-year-old family-owned supermarket chain will invest in the Charlotte store or the region.
Wegmans will be less than a half mile from the mixed-use development, The Bowl at Ballantyne. Retailers at the Bowl will include Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, expected to open next month, as well as several other restaurants opening this summer.
Why Wegmans chose Ballantyne
Yet again, a traditional grocer overlooks Charlotte’s West Charlotte food desert area, choosing the more affluent south Charlotte location.
Wegmans looks at population density, accessibility and locations to accommodate the size of the store and parking lot when considering where to put its supermarkets,Johnston said.
Like other grocers, Wegmans also reviews demographics like household income, education, spending and visibility.
Ballantyne also is near the North Carolina and South Carolina border.
“The area is really hungry for these amenities, for new culinary additional and retail mix,” said Christina Thigpen, senior vice president of marketing for Northwood.
A New Jersey native, Thigpen said she’s looking forward to Wegmans’ chocolate cake. “There’s something special about that shopping experience,” Thigpen said of Wegmans.
Will Wegmans expand further in Charlotte?
Wegmans is focused on making its Charlotte debut in Ballantyne, but expect more stores to open in the region.
The Charlotte store will open before the previously announced Holly Springs location, Johnston said. There is no timeframe yet for the Wake County store’s opening.
In Charlotte, Wegmans will break ground next month to open in third quarter 2026. “It’s a big undertaking but we’re open to other locations in the future,” Johnston said.
Wegmans already is searching for a second, possibly third, store site in the Charlotte area, a Wegmans’ official told Charlotte Business Journal.
“While we don’t currently have any specific plans for another store in the area, we see Charlotte as a great fit for us and we are always looking for new opportunities to expand,” Dan Aken, Wegmans’ vice president of real estate, said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer.
