Harris Teeter vs Food Lion: Who is Cheaper?
Harris Teeter is part of the Kroger Co which is the largest grocery store operator in the US by revenue and has over 3,200 stores. Food Lion is a part of Ahold Delhaize which is also a large grocery store operator with over 2,000 stores in the US.
To determine if Harris Teeter or Food Lion is cheaper for groceries, we will do a side-by-side price comparison of a week’s worth of groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
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Is Harris Teeter cheaper than Food Lion?
For this price comparison, I have made a meal plan for a family of 4 using “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as a guide. Our plan is to get groceries for a week that are healthy and cheap!
Here is our meal plan:
Breakfasts
- Mini Muffins with Extra Banana
- Cottage Cheese with Canned Peaches
- Eggies in a Basket with strawberries
- Rice Krispie Cereal with milk and Bananas
Lunches
- Bacon Turkey Sandwiches with Tortilla Chips
- Caesar Pasta Salad with leftover Parmesan Chicken
- Ham and Egg Salad sandwiches with Carrot Sticks
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Potato Soup with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, and Broccoli
- Smothered Chicken and Rice with Side Salad
- Ham, Cheese & Spinach Pasta with Garlic Bread
- Garlic Butter Shrimp over Rice with Sauteed Carrots
- Chicken Fajita Bake with Corn & Black Beans
- Caesar Chicken with Potato Wedges and Green Beans
Snacks
- Carrot and Caesar Dressing
- Hard Boiled Eggs or Deviled Eggs
- Chips and Salsa
- Turkey and Cheese Rollups
Sweet Treat
- Rice Krispie Treats
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Greenville, South Carolina. I will be selecting items for our meal plan that are the absolute cheapest.
This means mostly generic store brand options and the smallest size needed. This may not be the best value, but we are going for the cheapest option.
We are assuming that we already have kitchen basics like cooking oil, seasonings, salt/pepper, and baking powder at home. Everything else needed for the meal plan will need to be purchased.
For a more in depth break down on how I would make this meal plan work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #9.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Food Lion Price |
| Banana x 5 | $0.23 each= $1.15 | $0.21 each= $1.05 |
| Strawberries | 1lb container= $4.49 *on sale* | 1lb container= $2.99 |
| Tomato (x1) | Large Beefsteak= $1.39 each | Large Beefsteak= $1.01 each |
| Lettuce | I head Iceberg= $1.79 | I head Romaine= $1.79 |
| Lemon (x1) | $0.80 each *on sale* | $0.99 each |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $3.99 | 5lb bag of Russets=$4.69 |
| Fresh Garlic | $0.60 each | $0.99 each |
| Carrots | 1lb bag= $0.99 | 1lb bag= $0.69 |
| Bell Pepper x1 | Green $1.00 each | Green $0.99 each |
| Total: (9 items) | $16.20 | $15.19 |
In the produce section, Food Lion came out cheaper with a total of $15.19. This was $1.01 cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $16.20.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Food Lion Price |
| Bacon | Harris Teeter 12oz pack= $3.33 *On sale* | Food Lion 12oz pack= $4.29 |
| Turkey Lunchmeat | Land O’Frost 9oz pack= $3.49 | Land O’Frost 9oz pack= $3.29 |
| Chicken Breasts (need 6) | Split Chicken Breasts $0.99 a lb (2.3lbs) x2 = $4.68 | Boneless Breasts $2.99 a lb (4.5lbs) = $13.46 |
| Ham Steaks | Smithfield 8oz pack= $3.99 | Hatfield 8oz pack= $2.50 *on sale* |
| Shrimp | Harris Teeter 12oz Frozen Cooked small shrimp $9.99 | Food Lion 16oz Extra Large Raw Shrimp= $7.99 *on sale* |
| Total: (5 items) | $25.48 | $31.53 |
In the meat section, Harris Teeter came out cheaper with a total of $25.48. This was $6.05 cheaper than Food Lion’s total of $31.53.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Food Lion Price |
| Muffin Mix | Martha White Blueberry 7oz pack= $1.25 *on sale* | Food Lion Blueberry 7oz pack= $0.98 |
| Canned peaches | Harris Teeter 15oz can= $1.50 | Food Lion 15oz can= $1.25 |
| Sandwich bread | Harris Teeter 20oz white= $1.29 | Cha-Ching 20oz white= $0.99 |
| Rice Krispie Cereal | Harris Teeter Crispy Rice 12oz box= $1.49 *on sale* | Food Lion Crispy Rice 12oz box= $1.89 |
| Marshmallows | Harris Teeter 10oz bag= $0.99 *on sale* | Food Lion 10.5oz bag= $0.99 |
| Caesar Dressing | Wish Bone 15oz bottle= $2.00 *on sale* | Food Lion 16oz bottle= $2.29 |
| French Bread Loaf | 16oz loaf= $2.49 *on sale* | 16oz loaf= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Mayonnaise | Harris Teeter 30oz jar= $2.69 *on sale* | Food Lion 16oz jar= $2.49 |
| Canned green beans | Harris Teeter 14.5 oz can= $1.25 | Cha Ching 14.5oz can= $0.60 |
| White Rice | Harris Teeter 2lb bag= $1.49 | Food Lion 1lb bag= $0.86 |
| Cream of Chicken Soup | Harris Teeter 10.5 oz can= $0.99 | Food Lion 10.5oz can= $0.99 |
| Canned Corn | Harris Teeter 15.25 oz can= $1.25 | Cha Ching 15.25oz can= $0.60 |
| Canned Black Beans | Harris Teeter 15.5 oz can= $0.79 *on sale* | Food Lion 15.5oz can= $0.84 |
| Salsa | Pace 16oz jar= $2.00 *on sale* | Food Lion 16oz jar= $2.19 |
| Taco Seasoning | Harris Teeter 1.25oz pack= $0.50 *on sale* | Food Lion 1.25 oz pack= $1.00 |
| Tortilla Chips | Harris Teeter 10oz bag= $1.99 | Food Lion 12oz bag= $1.99 |
| Pasta | Harris Teeter 16oz shells= $1.18 *on sale* | Food Lion 16oz penne= $0.98 |
| Total: (17 items) | $25.14 | $22.92 |
In the dry goods section, Food Lion came out cheaper with a total of $22.92. This was $2.22 cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $25.14.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Food Lion Price |
| Frozen Broccoli | Bird’s Eye 10.8oz bag= $1.00 *on sale* | Bird’s Eye 10.8oz bag= $1.39 *on sale* |
| Frozen Spinach | Green Giant 9oz= $1.50 | Food Lion 10oz bag= $1.69 |
| Total: (2 items) | $2.50 | $3.08 |
In the frozen section, Harris Teeter came out cheaper with a total of $2.50. This was $0.58 cheaper than Food Lion’s total of $3.08.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Food Lion Price |
| Cottage Cheese | Harris Teeter 16oz container= $2.69 | Food Lion 16oz container= $2.29 |
| Eggs | Harris Teeter 12ct white= $2.89 | Food Lion 12ct white= $2.79 |
| Milk | Harris Teeter gallon= $2.49 | Food Lion gallon= $3.39 |
| Butter | Moovelous 1lb = $3.99 | Food Lion 1lb= $3.99 |
| Parmesan cheese | Harris Teeter 6oz bag= $3.39 | Food Lion 6oz bag= $2.00 *on sale* |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | Harris Teeter 8oz bag x2= $3.39 | Food Lion 16oz bag= $3.79 |
| Cream Cheese | Harris Teeter 8oz= $2.29 | Food Lion 8oz= $1.99 |
| Total: (7 items) | $21.13 | $20.24 |
In the dairy section, Food Lion came out cheaper with a total of $20.24. This was $0.89 cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $21.13.
Is Harris Teeter more expensive than Food Lion?
There was no clear winner of cheaper for all sections of the store. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Harris Teeter Price | Food Lion Price |
| Produce | $16.20 | $15.19 |
| Deli/Meats | $25.48 | $31.53 |
| Dry Goods | $25.14 | $22.92 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.50 | $3.08 |
| Dairy | $21.13 | $20.24 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $90.45 | $92.96 |
Overall, Harris Teeter was cheaper than Food Lion with a total of $90.45. This was $2.51 (about 2%) cheaper than Food Lion’s total of $92.96.
If these two stores were my only options, I would definitely shop the sales at each place. It appears that the meat prices are better at Harris Teeter, but if we price compare sales flyers at both stores, we may find better deals.
For staple items and dry goods, I would probably shop at Food Lion unless there were items on sale at Harris Teeter. Overall, both stores had great prices on most items.
Food Lion has a program called “Shop & Earn” where you not only get digital coupons and savings, but you can also collect cash back off your total. Plus, you will want to sign up for their MVP card that gives you access to all sale prices.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Aldi vs Albertsons: Who is Cheaper?” and “Walmart vs Price Chopper: Who is Cheaper?“
