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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.8

                             NINTH AMENDMENT TO THE
                          INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED
                         INVESTMENT/PROFIT SHARING PLAN

         THIS NINTH AMENDMENT TO THE INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED
INVESTMENT/PROFIT SHARING PLAN (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), which
Plan was amended and restated in its entirety effective September 26, 1993, and
was subsequently amended by the First through Eighth Amendments, is made and
entered into by Ingles Markets, Incorporated (the "Employer").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

         WHEREAS, Section 6.1 of the Plan permits the Employer to amend the
Plan from time to time and Section 6.3 of the Plan permits the Employer to
amend the Plan on behalf of all participating Employers.

         WHEREAS, the Employer desires to amend the Plan to allow payment to an
Alternate Payee in the event of the death of the Alternate Payee.

         NOW, THEREFORE, the Employer hereby amends the Plan as follows:

         1.  Section 5.11 of the Plan is hereby amended by adding the following
paragraph to the end thereof:

             "An Alternate Payee may receive a distribution of his or her
             interest under the Plan while the Participant remains employed by
             Employer but prior to the Earliest Retirement Age of the
             Participant under two exceptions. First, if an Alternate Payee
             shall be certified as disabled by the Social Security
             Administration at any time following the receipt of a Qualified
             Domestic Relations Order, that Alternate Payee may receive a
             distribution of his or her interest under the Plan as provided by
             the Qualified Domestic Relations Order without regard to the status
             of the Participant. In no event shall such disability include a
             condition resulting from self-inflicted injury, or injury incurred
             while committing an illegal act. Second, the interest of an
             Alternate Payee under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order is
             distributable to the Alternate Payee's designated beneficiary (or,
             if there is no designated beneficiary, to the Alternate Payee's
             estate) upon the death of the Alternate Payee."

         2.  The effective date of this Ninth Amendment shall be October 1,
2001.

         3.  Except as specifically amended above, the Plan shall remain
unchanged and, as amended


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herein, shall continue in full force and effect.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Ingles Markets, Incorporated has caused this Ninth
Amendment to the Plan to be executed by its duly authorized officer this 1st
day of October, 2001.

                                             EMPLOYER:
                                             INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED



                                             By:  /s/ Brenda S. Tudor
                                                -------------------------------
                                             Title:   CFO
                                                   ----------------------------


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