Albertsons LLC Switching to Supervalu in La.

SN STAFF

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons LLC here said Friday it will shift sourcing for its 17 stores in southern Louisiana to a Supervalu distribution center in Indianola, Miss., from the Fort Worth, Texas, division of Associated Wholesale Grocers.

The changeover is scheduled to begin in September. However, it said AWG will continue to supply the chain’s 77 Texas stores and a single unit in Arkansas.

"Everything about this transition makes sense for our southern Louisiana stores," said Mike McCarthy, senior vice president of distribution for Albertsons LLC.

"AWG has been a great partner since 2007, when they purchased the Fort Worth distribution center [from Albertsons LLC], and their future work with us in focusing on the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex will be important to our continued success in that area.

"We've also seen a great deal of value in our sourcing of product for our Florida stores from the Supervalu facility in Quincy, Fla., and we are pleased that by selecting Supervalu to source our southern Louisiana stores, it will allow us to further strengthen our relationship with them."

Albertsons LLC was formed by a private equity and real estate consortium in 2006 to operate the Albertsons stores that Supervalu did not acquire.