Local news outlets have been reporting on the possible sale of the Harris-Teeter grocery chain based in Matthews, NC. Did you know that the Teeter part of Harris-Teeter started in Mooresville?
Headline from the October 15, 1959 Mecklenburg Gazette announcing the merger
Two brothers, W.L. and P.G. Teeter opened their first store in 1939 on Main Street in Mooresville. By 1959, they had stores in Lincolnton, Newton, Cornelius, Hickory and Morganton. When the two chains combined in 1959, W. T. Harris became president and W. L. Teeter became executive vice-president.
In Davidson, the chains stores were slow in arriving. Shoppers were used to having a grocery store on Main Street. By the 1940s, they even had a telephone service that allowed them to call the store and have the groceries delivered- long before there were websites or apps for shopping.
Interior of the Goodrum Store on Main Street in Davidson in 1924.
1937 Davidson grocery ad
Irvin Johnston’s store allowed shoppers to call in orders and have them delivered.
By the 196os, the groceries had moved off Main Street– but not too far– Davidson Grocery was located around the corner on Depot Street. This store made raised controversy in 1968 by seeking a permit to sell beer and wine. Town officials were unhappy with such a change and attempted to block the application. After an initial rejection, the store appealed and was granted a permit in February 1969 – thereby bringing in the first legal alcohol sales in town.
Headline from the Davidsonian announcing liquor permit for a local grocery store.
Even with alcohol sales, local stores struggled to compete with larger stores in the area. Lowes was the first grocery chain store in town, opening in Sadler’s Square in January 1980. Lowes was replaced by Food Lion in 1982. Five years later, Food Lion closed the Davidson store. The Harris Teeter company expressed interest in bringing a store back to downtown in 2000 but the plans ended up being dropped. Eight years later, new plans brought a Harris Teeter store to the Davidson Commons off exit 30 and giving the town 2 grocery stores for the first time in decades – just as the Davidson Farmer’s Market was bring groceries to downtown, at least once a week.
All these changes and cycles, makes you wonder how Davidson residents and students will be shopping for dinner in future decades, more of the same or something very different?
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