Aldi announced in a press release earlier this week that it is acquiring Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket as part of its plan to expand in the southeastern United States. This is part of a divestiture — or the selling off of subsidiaries — of the Florida-based supermarket portfolio Southeastern Grocers to other companies. Some of the Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores will be converted to Aldi stores, while others will remain as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket.
Aldi CEO Jason Hart said in a statement:
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.
Aldi continues to be one of the fast-growing grocers in the United States, and in this new move, they are now poised to acquire about 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Credit: Aldi
Anthony Hucker, President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers said:
This merger agreement is a testament to our successful transformational journey and the tireless work of our dedicated associates who serve our communities. Aldi shares our vision to provide exceptional quality, service and value — and this unique opportunity will evolve our business to benefit our customers, associates and neighbors throughout the Southeast.
Aldi first expanded to the Southeast in the mid-1990s and since then has put $2.5 billion into the region. The grocer recently opened its 26th regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, to support new stores. Aldi also plans to open 20 new Aldi locations in the area by the end of the 2023.
Hart said of the acquisition of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket:
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.
You can read the full press release from Aldi here. You can also read Southeastern Grocers’ press release here.
I don’t know. I feel like they’re overexpanding way too fast and their quality has been steadily falling over the past few years. I live in suburban Atlanta and have 8 Aldi stores within 10 miles from me.