Aldi has announced it has agreed to acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket in a deal that will add approximately 400 stores to its U.S. portfolio.
The acquisition, which is part of a larger divestiture of Southeastern Grocers to various entities, includes Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
It builds on a relationship with the region that goes back to the mid-1990s when ALDI first established its presence in the Southeast. Since then, it has reportedly invested $2.5 billion in the region including its 26th regional headquarters and distribution center was a recently opened in Loxley. There are also plans to open 20 new ALDI locations in the area by the end of the year, the retailer said.
“Like Aldi, Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket have long histories and many loyal customers in the Southeast and we look forward to serving them in the years to come. The time was right to build on our growth momentum and help residents in the Southeast save on their grocery bills. The transaction supports our long-term growth strategy across the United States, including plans to add 120 new stores nationwide this year to reach a total of more than 2,400 stores by year-end,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi.
Upon evaluation, the retailer said it will decide on which Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores will convert to the traditional Aldi format. Those that do not will stay as they are.
“ALDI will operate Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores with the same level of care and focus on quality and service, as we also evaluate which locations will convert to the ALDI format to better support the neighborhoods we’ll now have the privilege of serving. For those stores we do not convert, our intention is that these continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores,” Hart said.
