Shopping for a gallon of milk and a hammer? Abingdon, Va.-based retailer Food City officials said that it plans to join the Ace Hardware family of stores—thus making Food City the place with the helpful hardware man. The supermarket retailer said in an April 28 statement that it will launch its line of Curt’s Ace Hardware stores later this summer.
“We look forward to bringing Curt’s Ace Hardware store locations to the communities where we know there is a need,” says Steven Smith, Food City president and CEO, in a statement. “Given our vast merchandising and marketing experience, I’m confident that our team will do an excellent job managing and operating these locations.”
Food City is evaluating locations in Abingdon, Bristol, Piney Flats, Erwin and Elizabethton, in addition to Mize Farm & Garden Supply Co. in Gray, Tenn., which Food City recently purchased.
“We greatly appreciate the support that our loyal customers have shown us, and we want to leverage our Curt’s Ace Hardware brand to better serve the communities where we already do business,” Smith said.
Ace Hardware is known for carrying power tools and equipment, hardware, lawn and garden, and other home improvement supplies.
Food City parent K-VA-T Food Stores, which recently broke ground on a new store in Alcoa, Tenn., operates 138 retail outlets in five Southeast states: Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.