Harris Teeter opens in Fort Mill

Shoppers at the just-opened Harris Teeter were impressed with the light, airy feeling of the new grocery store and its grand-opening colors.

But it will be convenience that keeps them coming back, they say.

The new Harris Teeter, at the intersection of U.S. 21 and Springfield Parkway, is one of a few grocery stores on the east side of Interstate 77. All of the new stores – including Rock Hill’s second Publix that opened Wednesday – are on the west side of I-77. Rock Hill’s new Publix is on Heckle Boulevard in the Wedgewood Square Shopping Center.

Darla Keifer of Fort Mill was one those impressed Wednesday at the Harris Teeter.

“This will be a regular stop,” she said of the new store, which is halfway between home and her grandson’s school.

The attraction that will consistently bring Keifer is the Starbucks cafe just inside the front door. She tried to come Monday, but the store wasn’t open. On Wednesday, it wasn’t long before she had a chai latte in her hands.

“This will keep me going,” she said of the latte.

Naomi Anene, who lives in nearby Regent Park, said she also will be a regular. She said she likes the fact the store is open 24 hours and has a pharmacy – an important consideration as she has a 3-year-old daughter, Victoria. The pharmacy is open late most evenings.

Victoria went from a teary-eyed child to all smiles when she got the cookie she wanted as part of the grand opening.

The grand opening also attracted a different kind of regular customer – the hardcore coupon shoppers. They came to match coupons with sale items, especially grand-opening sales. They also came because Harris Teeter will accept 20 double coupons per day per customer/household with a VIC card; all others are redeemed at face value.

Maryellen Davis came from the university area of Charlotte to investigate the new Fort Mill store. The flight attendant with United Airlines had her coupons in a large, zippered binder.

As the clerks at the checkout line totaled her order, Davis twice returned to the store’s aisles to pick up more detergent.

When she finished, Davis had about $200 in groceries in her shopping cart and paid the clerk 76 cents.

“I like the store; it’s friendly and bright. You don’t get as much light in other grocery stores,” she said.

Even though it’s a long drive for her, Davis said she will likely make the Springfield Parkway Harris Teeter one of the stops on her coupon shopping sprees.

Tiana Grant, Stephanie McDaniel and Tanya Whitaker didn’t come as far as Davis, but they were no less intent when it came to coupon shopping. They are from Fort Mill.

Grant and McDaniel were among the first customers through the doors when the store opened at 8 a.m. They were less than a third of the way through it an hour later, deliberately walking the aisles, comparing coupons in the books to items on the shelf.

“Coupons, it’s an every day job,” Grant said.

Said Whitaker: “It’s an investment. I keep a spreadsheet every week. I estimate I save about 51 percent on my grocery shopping.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Harris Teeter opens in Fort Mill."