SALISBURY — In the town where Food Lion started with one store in 1957 and grew into a chain numbering nearly 1,200 locations, you can bet people will be watching Beth Newlands Campbell in 2013.

Newlands Campbell, 47, was named the new president of Food Lion last month in a management shakeup. She had been president of Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford Supermarkets, a sister grocery chain also owned by Food Lion parent company Delhaize.

She joined Hannaford as a retail management trainee in 1987 and worked her way up through the ranks.

Newlands Campbell plans to move to North Carolina immediately, where she will work in the Harrison Road Food Lion headquarters. Her family will follow later.

A native of Pittsford, N.Y., she takes over Food Lion as the brand struggles to compete with lower priced competitors like Walmart and Aldi.

Early in 2012, Food Lion closed 113 underperforming stores and pulled out of Florida. Delhaize also shut down the Bloom brand.

Delhaize stock has slumped, and Food Lion makes up the lion’s share of the company.

Can Newlands Campbell turn things around for Salisbury’s hometown grocery store? Stay tuned.

— Emily Ford
Dream date? A fun evening with my family.

If you won the lottery? I’d make the lines much shorter at soup kitchens and help my mom make a home in both western New York and North Carolina.

Your last meal? A home-cooked meal by my husband or making pizzas with my daughters. 

Who will you watch in 2013? I will be listening to Food Lion’s store managers so I can learn from them how we can better serve our customers. 

Your biggest hope for 2013? Earning your business every day.

Reaction? I was honored and very humbled. I look forward to the day when my family relocates to North Carolina and creates lasting memories in this great state. I think my family is most excited about moving to “basketball country.” I’m not ready to reveal our favorite ACC teams! We have more than one and that makes March interesting with family rivals.