Southeastern Grocers’ CEO, C&S Wholesale Grocers buy Winn-Dixie from AldiSoutheastern Grocers’ CEO, C&S Wholesale Grocers buy Winn-Dixie from Aldi

A group of private investors, including the current president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers (SEG) as well as C&S Wholesale Grocers, has acquired Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners from Aldi U.S., the consortium announced late Friday.

Details of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal includes about 170 grocery stores in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, as well as the existing Winn-Dixie liquor store business.

Aldi had purchased the grocer less than a year ago, in March 2024. Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi will continuie with its previously stated plans to convert about 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to Aldi locations, a process that is underway and is expected to conclude in 2027.

Southeastern's CEO Anthony Hucker will serve as chairman, CEO and president, and the Jacksonville, Fla.-based consortium will immediately assume day-to-day operations of Winn-Dixie grocery and liquor stores and Harveys Supermarkets, the group said.

"We are profoundly grateful and deeply honored to continue serving the communities we cherish," Hucker said in a statement. "Our culture and path forward are firmly grounded in our 100-year legacy—a legacy built on strong values and a shared purpose of caring for one another. Throughout this transformational journey, our commitment to thoughtful, purpose-driven growth remains strong and propels us forward with renewed momentum. As we reinvest in the store fleet, we are inspired by listening loudly to the voices of our customers, to elevate and revolutionize our customer experience and store offerings, so that each step we take will reflect our dedication to our people and our communities.” 

Related:5 things you might not have known about the Kroger, Albertsons merger decision

SEG and Aldi will work together to "ensure a smooth transition, with dedicated leaders overseeing the store conversion and hiring process," the company said in a statement.

"SEG will continue to operate the remaining stores identified for conversion in the normal course of business, with the same level of care and focus on quality and service, up to and until each respective store is closed for conversion," the consortium said.

C&S, based in Keene, N.H., has been the wholesale partner of SEG for two decades.

"Our unrelenting focus on long-term growth continues with an exciting opportuning for C&S to invest in and collaborate deeply with the retail market," CEO Eric Winn said. "C&S will leverage our best-in-class capabilities to provide value and quality to shoppers as we continue advancing our legacy of braggingly happy customers."

Related:Weis Markets acquires Saylor’s Market

Sources close to the matter said Aldi has been working with investment bankers for weeks to divest some of the nearly 400 Winn-Dixie locations it acquired from SEG, according to earlier published reports.

Despite this sale, Aldi has been growing rapidly over the last year and plans further expansion. The discount grocer has set a goal of investing $9 billion over the next five years to open 800 new U.S. locations. These locations will include both new openings and existing store conversions.

Aldi currently operates over 2,400 locations in the U.S. and announced in September that it was hiring 13,000 store and warehouse workers to handle the holiday rush and rapid store growth.

Meanwhile, C&S Wholesale Grocers played a major role in the failed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger and Albertsons. The deal included a plan to divest 579 Kroger and Albertsons stores to C&S.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), however, argued that C&S Wholesale Grocers was an unfit divestiture partner, and in early December, judges in Oregon and Washington rejected the merger.

Albertsons then terminated the merger agreement and sued Kroger for billions of dollars, stating that Kroger refused to offer an adequate divestiture package and repeatedly ignored regulators’ concerns. Reports indicate that at least 60 companies, including Aldi, expressed interest in becoming a divestiture partner.

Related:Albertsons’ lawsuit: Kroger acted in its own ‘best interests,’ fouling $24.6B merger bid

UPDATE: This story has been updated to confirm that a group of private investors is purchasing Southeastern Grocers from Aldi.