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Greenville Business Magazine

Food Lion acquiring 62 BI-LO, Harveys Stores Across the Carolinas, Georgia

Jun 04, 2020 10:55AM ● By David Dykes

By David Dykes

Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion said it is purchasing 62 BI-LO and Harveys Supermarket stores in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia from Southeastern Grocers, marking the food retailer's largest acquisition in its history. 

Food Lion officials said the stores, including 38 in South Carolina, will remain open as BI-LO and Harveys Supermarket until the transaction is complete, which is expected to take place over a staggered period from January to April 2021, pending regulatory approval and customary closing requirements. 

Food Lion plans to operate all the stores under the Food Lion banner.

“We are so excited to add these new locations to our more than 630 stores across Georgia and the Carolinas,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “We’ve been serving customers in these larger regions for almost 60 years. We’re thrilled to add these locations and serve even more towns and cities across these three states with fresh, quality products at affordable prices every day with the caring, friendly service customers expect from their local Food Lion.”

Food Lion expects to hire more than 4,650 associates to serve customers at the 62 new stores.

Separately, Southeastern Grocers, or SEG, said it is also divesting the assets of 57 of the in-store pharmacies it operates under the BI-LO and Harveys Supermarket banners to CVS and Walgreens. These locations, which include all of the Company’s BI-LO pharmacies and nine Harveys Supermarket pharmacies in Georgia, will begin to transition within the next two weeks. 

"The successful execution of our long-term transformation strategy may at times require difficult decisions," said Anthony Hucker, SEG's president and chief executive officer. "Today’s transactions are a critical strategic move and an important next step for our continued growth and broader evolution as a business. These actions will facilitate greater investment in our remaining footprint so we can continue to provide an exceptional shopping experience our customers can always count on.” 

SEG also is the parent company of Winn-Dixie grocery stores.

Meanwhile, Food Lion has a history of caring for those in need. 

As the first grocery retailer in the country to establish a partnership with Feeding America to develop a retail food rescue program more than 20 years ago, all stores in the Food Lion network are paired with a local feeding agency that receive donations through Food Lion’s retail food rescue program and support through its hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds. 

Food that is unable to be sold in stores but is safe to eat is donated.

“Caring for families and communities is at the heart of our brand. We believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent and gas and groceries,” Ham said. “That’s why Food Lion recently announced a goal of providing 1 billion more meals through our hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds, to feed our neighbors in need. As part of that commitment to the most vulnerable in our communities, these new stores will also be paired with local food bank partners."    

Food Lion will be served by ADUSA Distribution, LLC, through the Mauldin distribution center once the transaction is complete. The distribution center will support the newly acquired 62 stores and Food Lion’s network of stores. 

Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, go to www.foodlion.com.

For a list of stores Food Lion is acquiring, go to: https://newsroom.foodlion.com/static-files/2799289d-5de1-4adb-8a2a-de4d7a868386