Aldi is acquiring 400 Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida from their parent company, Southeastern Grocers Inc.
The deal is part of a merger agreement that involves “a comprehensive strategic divestiture” of SEG’s businesses.
Aldi is buying the Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners, and the Fresco y Más banner, including all 28 stores and four pharmacies, will be sold to Fresco Retail Group, LLC, an investment group strategically focused on food and grocery.
Fresco Retail Group, LLC plans for all stores and pharmacies in the Fresco y Más banner to continue operating as they are right now.
As for the Harveys Supermarkets and Winn-Dixie stores, Aldi will continue to operate stores in their current locations but will evaluate which locations it wants to convert to the Aldi format. Stores that aren’t converted will continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores.
The merger agreement has been approved by the holders of a majority of SEG’s outstanding shares, and the merger is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. SEG will continue to operate its respective banners and stores until everything goes through.
“Our successful transformational journey has created a unique opportunity with leading partners who share our vision and common commitments to creating value for their customers,” said Anthony Hucker, President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers. “We believe these next steps will fuel a phenomenal experience for our customers, new opportunities for our associates and increased value for our shareholders. As the sales processes proceed, we’ll stay acutely focused upon delivering the exceptional quality, service and value that our customers and communities have come to expect from us.”