If you've seen Cathy Green lately, that's by design: The new president of Food Lion is starring in the retailer's latest television ads.
But her grocery path stretches back much further – to when she was 16 and working as a bagger at a Hannaford store in her native Maine. She came to the Salisbury-based sister company Food Lion, also owned by Belgian retailer Delhaize, in 2002 and served as chief operating office before becoming president Feb. 1.
She's responsible for 72,000 employees and nearly 1,300 stores across the Southeast, including the 1,149 Food Lions and the Bloom, Harveys and Reids banners, all of which aim for different customer segments.
This comes as Food Lion has faced a slipping local market share and challenges from both the economy and competitors such as Wal-Mart Supercenters. But the company isn't standing pat. In February, Food Lion launched a heavily promoted new lower pricing initiative, and Green is working to anticipate trends and decide where and how to grow.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Charlotte Observer.