JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Southeastern Grocers said it has completed the divestiture of its Fresco y Más operations via a sale of the banner to an investment group, which plans to maintain existing operations at the locations.
SEG last year announced plans to sell the chain to Fresco Retail Group LLC as part of its ongoing plan to divest supermarket assets.
SEG in August also entered into an agreement with Aldi to sell some 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. SEG said it expects that deal to close in the first half of this year.
“The successful sale of Fresco y Más marks an important milestone on our path forward,” Anthony Hucker, SEG’s president and CEO, said today in a press release. “As we continue to lead our Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores, we remain focused on being the most preferred grocer in the neighborhood and delivering an exceptional grocery shopping experience complete with the quality, service and value our customers and communities have come to expect.”
Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi USA has been expanding ifs footprint across the Southeast, including the recent opening of its 26th regional headquarters and distribution center, in Loxley, Ala. Acquisition of SEG’s Winn-Dixie and Harveys chains represents a bet that Aldi can take market share from regional players including Walmart and Publix Super Markets.
SEG emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018 and embarked on a five-year plan that involved sale of its Bi-Lo banner. Hucker, a former Schnuck Markets and Giant Food executive, had been brought on board in 2017 to lead the transition. SEG subsequently sold off some of its Harveys Supermarket locations and a distribution center to Ahold Delhaize USA’s Food Lion chain.
In a deal announced following the Aldi-SEG agreement, retail pharmacy chains CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens agreed to acquire the prescription files of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores.
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