BATON ROUGE, La. (WVLA/WGMB) — ALDI closed a deal to buy out Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets, according to a Thursday announcement.
Officials from ALDI said the acquisition is part of a $9 billion expansion plan of 800 stores nationwide by the end of 2028. The five-year plan includes opening new locations and store conversions.
“Our growth is fueled by our customers, and they are asking for more ALDI stores in their neighborhoods nationwide,” said CEO Jason Hart.
Harveys and Winn-Dixie are two grocery chains serving the South. Combined, they have more than 500 stores in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The acquisition will boost ALDI’s expansion in Southeastern states, the company said.
The supermarket chain also said it plans to add nearly 330 stores in the Northeast and Midwest regions by the end of 2028 and grow in the West region by opening stores in Southern California, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The store conversion process will start in the middle of the summer, ALDI said. The majority of these stores will reopen next year as ALDI locations.
The grocery company said “a meaningful amount” of existing Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets will keep operating under their current banners.
“For more than a decade, ALDI has added hundreds of stores per year across the country,” Hart said. “This success would not be possible without our dedicated team members and supplier partners that bring our customers value and convenience every day. With our growth comes exciting opportunities for our teams and suppliers to grow with us.”
