ALDI To Buy Winn-Dixie, Harveys Supermarket Stores In FL

FLORIDA — Discount grocery chain ALDI announced Wednesday it plans to buy about 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations in Florida and four other states as it looks to amass more than 2,400 stores by year's end.

If approved, the sale would affect Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi as well, the company said in a news release.

“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,” ALDI CEO Jason Hart said in a news release. “The time was right to build on our growth momentum and help residents in the Southeast save on their grocery bills."

ALDI, a Germany-based grocery chain with locations in multiple countries including the United States, first popped up in the southeast United States in the mid-1990s and since has invested $2.5 billion in the region, the company said. Most recently, ALDI opened its 26th regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, Alabama.

Company officials said the acquisition of Southeastern Grocers — the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket — is part of a larger expansion, during which ALDI plans to open 120 stores nationwide.

While some stores will be converted to ALDI locations, others will retain the Winn-Dixie or Harveys Supermarket names, the company said. Officials did not specify which stores might be rebranded.

“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,” Hart said.

Despite the announcement, Florida shoppers aren't likely to notice a change soon. In fact, regulators aren't expected to approve the sale until early next year, the company said.