Lexington Park, MD –– Could Lexington Park be losing its only grocery store? The Lexington Park Food Lion in St. Mary’s Square on Great Mills Road is reportedly one of 83 supermarkets for sale as the result of the anticipated merger of the companies that own Giant and Food Lion. The $29 million merger was reported last year between Dutch retailer Ahold, which owns Giant and rival Delhaze of Belgium, the Food Lion owners.

The trade publication “Food World” has reported that the Lexington Park, Callaway and California Food Lions are on the list of stores reportedly for sale. A Giant store is located close by in First Colony shopping center in California. Also on the list are the Food Lions in Lusby and Prince Frederick, where Giant stores are also located. In addition, the Giant stores in La Plata and Accokeek are on the list, which has elicited protests from the unions representing Giant workers.

Upon learning about the possible closing of the Lexington Park store, St. Mary’s County Commissioner Todd Morgan [R – 4th District] expressed regret at the possible demise of the unincorporated town’s only grocery store, especially with the recent closing of the McKay’s, which was also on Great Mills Road.

Morgan said, “I am watching it closely,” adding he was concerned about the people who live close by who walk to the Food Lion in St. Mary’s Square as their only source for groceries.

The remaining other Food Lions in Southern Maryland, including Leonardtown, Charlotte Hall, Waldorf, Bryans Road and La Plata, are reportedly not on the chopping block at this time.

Food Lion, whose U.S. headquarters is in North Carolina, has more than 11,000 U.S. stores, mostly in the southeast. Giant, headquartered in Landover, has 165 stores in Maryland and Virginia. They are not related to another chain of stores known as Giant-Carlisle with headquarters in that Pennsylvania city.

If the three Food Lion stores in St. Mary’s close, the closest grocery store for the Lexington Park area would be the Shoppers Food Warehouse in San Souci Plaza in California. Recently an Aldi grocery store opened in California across from Wildewood and a Harris Teeter is being constructed in a new shopping center on Route 4 near the Giant.

Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com