Editing Harris Teeter (section)

===Founding and early days===
[[File:Harris Supermarket ad.jpg|thumb|A 1950 ad for Harris Supermarkets. Displayed at Harris Teeter's store on Central Avenue in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]] (Store #097-00401).]]
Harris Teeter was founded by William Thomas Harris and Willis L. Teeter, two entrepreneurs who started their separate businesses during the [[Great Depression]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]. Harris opened a full-service drugstore called Harris Drugs and Teeter opened Teeters Food Mart,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/harris-teeter/|title=Harris Teeter - North Carolina History Project|work=North Carolina History Project|access-date=January 19, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=January 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119235117/http://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/harris-teeter/|url-status=live}}</ref> later merging their two ventures.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://kxan.com/investigative-story/most-donations-to-veterans-groups-dont-reach-veterans/|title=Veterans charities never see 84% of millions raised for veterans|date=November 10, 2014|work=KXAN.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112222023/https://www.kxan.com/investigative-story/most-donations-to-veterans-groups-dont-reach-veterans/|archive-date=2014-11-12|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-10-19|language=en-US}}</ref>

Harris, an employee of the [[The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company|A&P]] store on Central and Pecan Avenues – Charlotte's first supermarket – borrowed funds in 1936 to open the Harris Super Market at 1704 Central Avenue.<ref name="Purvis">Purvis, Kathleen. (February 2, 2010). "Harris Teeter Marks 50th Anniversary". ''The Charlotte Observer'' http://www.charlotteobserver.com/topstories/story/1218942.html{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The store had eight employees, primarily selling [[dry goods|dry groceries]] because [[frozen food]]s and [[refrigeration]] did not become common until [[World War II]]. To the family and their employees, it was known as Store #1. This store, later known as Harris Teeter store #201, closed on June 5, 2012, and was replaced by the two-story store #401 on the same site, which opened on May 29, 2013.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

Harris' store was the first in [[North Carolina]] to allow customers to select their own groceries off the 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&nbsp;p.m. on Fridays, at a time when most grocery stores closed their doors at 5&nbsp;p.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]].<ref name="Purvis" />

Harris also ran his own dairy farm and sold products from his dairy in his stores. For his wife, LaVerne, the [[dairy product]]s 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, Inc.|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 eight years old by sweeping floors. As an adult, 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 who worked for the company.

Harris was instrumental in the permanent placement of kindergartens 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, with his brother Paul, who was also working for A&P, borrowed $1,700 to open Teeter's Food Mart on Main Street in Mooresville. A&P was closing its doors in Mooresville 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. 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, later joined the staff as a bookkeeper as the Teeter stores expanded. The Teeter brothers believed in exceptional customer service, even having home delivery service. Because of their standards 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 Teeters moved from downtown to a 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 become a household name. Lines of eager shoppers wrapped around the new store in anticipation of being one of the first customers in Teeters' second location. The Teeters' success continued to grow and by 1957 their third store opened in [[Newton, North Carolina]], a fourth in [[Cornelius, North Carolina|Cornelius]], a fifth in [[Hickory, North Carolina|Hickory]], and a sixth opened in [[Morganton, North Carolina]], in November 1958.<ref name="Harris Teeter Legacy">Harris Teeter Legacy</ref>

After opening his sixth store Teeter joined the NC Food Dealers Association. At one of the Food Dealers meetings, Teeter met 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 cost]]s. W.&nbsp;L. Teeter and W.&nbsp;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.<ref name="Harris Teeter Legacy"/>