Southeastern Grocers Overview and History

Southeastern Grocers has a rich history that spans over 100 years, dating back to 1907 when it was founded as a small grocery store in Jacksonville, Florida.

The company has undergone significant transformations over the years, evolving from a single store to a large supermarket chain with over 500 locations across the southeastern United States.

Southeastern Grocers operates under several banners, including Winn-Dixie, Harveys Supermarkets, and Fresco y Más, each catering to different customer segments and preferences.

The company's commitment to providing quality products and excellent customer service has earned it a loyal customer base and a reputation as a trusted grocery store chain in the region.

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Winn-Dixie is a grocery store chain that has undergone significant changes in recent years. Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, announced in October 2025 that it would change its name to The Winn-Dixie Company, aiming to renew its focus on its home state of Florida and expand its Own Brand product assortment.

The company plans to exit markets outside of Florida and southern Georgia, with dozens of remodels and new store projects already underway. These upgrades aim to create community-centered stores that reflect the needs of local customers.

In 2024, Southeastern Grocers was acquired by a private investor group led by CEO Anthony Hucker and C&S Wholesale Grocers. The deal included approximately 170 Winn-Dixie and Harveys grocery stores and 170 Winn-Dixie liquor stores across the Southeast.

The new ownership group will pilot new customer conveniences and partnerships, including third-party online grocery delivery and return kiosks.

Additional reading: C&S Wholesale Grocers

The Winn-Dixie Company is planning a significant transformation, starting with a name change to The Winn-Dixie Company in early 2026.

The company announced its intentions to renew its focus on its home state of Florida and expand its Own Brand product assortment. This decision is expected to have a major impact on the company's operations.

Dozens of remodels and new store projects are already underway, aiming to create community-centered stores that reflect the needs of local customers.

In August 2023, Southeastern Grocers announced its intention to sell all Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to German supermarket chain Aldi. The deal was completed in March 2024.

The sale included approximately 170 Winn-Dixie and Harveys grocery stores and 170 Winn-Dixie liquor stores across the Southeast. Aldi will continue to convert some of these stores to its own format, with plans to transform around 220 stores acquired in 2024.

A new ownership group, led by Southeastern Grocers CEO Anthony Hucker and C&S Wholesale Grocers, purchased the Winn-Dixie and Harveys chains from Aldi. This group will assume immediate control of the acquired stores and will be responsible for their day-to-day operations.

The new ownership group is committed to investing in and collaborating with the retail market, as stated by Eric Winn, CEO of C&S Wholesale Grocers. They aim to continue Southeastern's transformation strategy, which includes being an industry-leading grocery wholesaler and retailer.

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Southeastern Grocers operates a total of 548 stores across the United States, under the banners of Winn-Dixie, Harveys Supermarkets, and Fresco y Más.

The company's stores are primarily located in the Southeast and Southwest regions of the country.

Southeastern Grocers is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and has been in operation since 1967.

The company's stores offer a wide range of products and services to customers, including fresh produce, meat, dairy products, and household essentials.

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Southeastern Grocers Inc. is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S.

They serve customers in grocery stores and liquor stores throughout the five southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

The company is the parent company of Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie, two well-known regional brands with deep heritages and strong neighborhood ties.

In September 2013, Southeastern Grocers was created as the new parent company for BI-LO, Harveys, and Winn-Dixie.

The company then filed to raise as much as $500 million in a U.S. initial public offering and list its common stock under the "SEG" symbol.

Southeastern Grocers announced an agreement to buy 22 supermarkets in South Carolina and Georgia from Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co.

One Piggly Wiggly store in Lexington, South Carolina, was closed due to close proximity to other BI-LO stores.

The company also entered into an agreement to sell seven BI-LO branded stores in the Charlotte market to Publix.

Southeastern Grocers withdrew its IPO filing with the SEC in August 2014, effectively aborting the process of listing the stock for public sale.

In July 2015, Southeastern Grocers announced the sale of its 21 BI-LO locations in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, market to K-VA-T Food Stores.

The company used proceeds from the deal to reduce debt, effectively ending its presence in the Tennessee market.

Southeastern Grocers laid off 250 workers at its support offices in October 2015 to improve efficiency and invest in service and value for customers.

Store employees were not affected by the layoffs.

The company converted a Winn-Dixie location in Hialeah, Florida to Fresco y Más in June 2016, its new brand featuring an expanded Hispanic product assortment.

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By 2017, the Fresco y Más brand had grown to 18 locations across Miami, Hialeah, and Hollywood.

Southeastern Grocers announced the closing of 23 locations along with the elimination of some department lead roles at stores in May 2017.

In June 2017, the company announced that President and CEO Ian McLeod was leaving the company.

Anthony Hucker was appointed as the new president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers in August 2017.

The company announced plans to shutter 22 locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina in February 2019.

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We're Southeastern Grocers, one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S. We serve customers in grocery stores and liquor stores throughout the five southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Our company was created in September 2013 by Lone Star Funds as the new parent company for BI-LO, Harveys, and Winn-Dixie. We've got a rich history, with deep heritages and strong neighborhood ties.

We're proud of our regional brands, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie, which have been providing the best possible quality and value to customers for years. Our talented and caring associates work hard to make sure our customers have an excellent shopping experience.

In 2013, we acquired 22 supermarkets in South Carolina and Georgia from the Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. We've also made significant changes in our operations over the years, including the elimination of some department lead roles at stores in May 2017.

We've also had our share of leadership changes, with Ian McLeod leaving the company in June 2017 and Anthony Hucker being appointed as our new president and CEO.

Recently, Southeastern Grocers made a significant announcement about the future of their stores. Southeastern Grocers sold all Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to German supermarket chain Aldi.

The company plans to keep some locations open under their respective brands, while others will convert into Aldi stores. This change is part of a larger deal that was completed in March 2024.

In the next several years, a significant number of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets will be converted into Aldi stores. This will give customers a new shopping experience in the area.

The first 50 stores will be converted during the summer, marking the beginning of this new chapter for the company.