Harris Teeter - History

History

Harris Teeter was founded by two entrepreneurs, William Thomas Harris and Willis L. Teeter, during the Great Depression in Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina. Harris, an employee of the A&P store on Central Avenue and Pecan that was Charlotte's first supermarket, borrowed funds in 1936 to open the Harris Super Market at 1704 Central Avenue. The store had eight employees. It was primarily a dry goods store because frozen foods and refrigeration did not become common until World War II. To the family and then employees, it was known as Store #1. Today, this store, now Harris Teeter store #201, closed on June 5, 2012, and will be replaced by a two-story store #401 on the same site. Work began in June 2012 and is expected to end in summer 2013.

Harris' store was the first in North Carolina to allow customers to select their own groceries off shelves. Before this time, customers handed a shopping list to a clerk, who then selected the groceries for the customers. The store was also open until 9 p.m. on Fridays, at a time when most grocery stores closed their doors at 5 a.m. This was done to appeal to working families and to capture their grocery shopping after they were paid on Fridays. Later, the Harris Super Market was the first grocery store in Charlotte to add air conditioning. However, as a devout Baptist, Harris refused to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in any of his stores, including the post-merger Harris Teeter supermarkets until the acquisition by Ruddick.

Harris also ran his own dairy farm and sold products from his dairy in his stores. For his wife, LaVerne, the dairy products carried the brand name of Vernedale Farms. Harris pioneered the first dairy co‑op among local dairy farmers. After running the co-op for several years, he negotiated its sale to Pet Dairy.

Harris Super Markets began primarily as a family business. Most of Harris's brothers and sisters were employees, and brothers and brothers-in-law were store managers. His sister, Sarah, ran the accounting department and his wife's sister was Harris's personal secretary. His son, Donald Thomas Harris, began working for the company at 8 years old by sweeping floors. Donald suggested that Harris Teeter should carry more than just food products, and recommended the introduction of health and beauty aids, school supplies, bakeware, kitchen tools, and seasonal items (such as coolers in the summer). His father liked the idea and told Don that he should create and run that division of the company, which he did until his retirement in 1995. He was the last member of the family that worked for the company.

Harris was instrumental in the permanent placement of kindergarten in the South Carolina public school system, and supported the effort to turn Charleston College into what is known today as the College of Charleston.

In 1939 Willis L. Teeter—who also worked for A&P, at its Mooresville, North Carolina store—and his brother Paul, who was also working for A&P borrowed $1,700 to open Teeter's Food Mart on Main Street in Mooresville, North Carolina. A&P was closing their doors and agreed to lease the location to the Teeter brothers. The first Teeter Food Mart opened on July 15, 1939. Teeter's was a family-run operation as Teeter was the manager, Paul (Bill), his brother was the produce manager and Teeter's wife, Sylvia, also worked at the store. Paul's wife, Mildred, also joined the staff as bookkeeper as the Teeter stores expanded. The Teeter brothers believed in exceptional customer service, even having home delivery service. Because of their foresight of providing great customer service and only the best products, they saw sales rise quickly. Teeter based all he would do on the Golden Rule—treat others as you would have them treat you.

In 1946 the Teeter's moved from downtown to a much larger location to keep up with demand. The Teeters were leaders in installing the first automated doors and check-outs in North Carolina. In July 1953, the Teeters opened their second store in Lincolnton, North Carolina. At this point the Teeters had became a household name. Lines of eager shoppers wrapped around the new store in anticipation of being one of the first customers in the Teeter's new store. The Teeter's success continued to grow and by 1957 their third store opened in Newton, North Carolina, a fourth in Cornelius, a fifth in Hickory, and a sixth opened in Morganton, North Carolina, in November of 1958.

After opening his sixth store Teeter joined the NC Food Dealers Association. At one of the Food Dealers meetings, W. L. Teeter met W. T. Harris. The two men decided that working together would increase the financial strength of the two supermarkets, allow them to grow more rapidly and decrease operating costs. W. L. Teeter and W. T. Harris agreed to merge and did so in November 1959 to become Harris Teeter Supermarkets. The merger of 15 stores collectively became official in February 1960. The new company became the largest independent grocery organization in the Carolinas.