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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Southeastern Grocers announced plans to expand in Florida by opening eight recently acquired stores under its Winn-Dixie banner.
Each of the properties became available after rival supermarket operators filed for bankruptcy and began shuttering stores.
Earlier this year, Southeastern Grocers agreed to pay $2.4 million for four Lucky’s Market stores in Florida, shortly after Kroger Co. pulled its investment in the faltering Boulder, Colo.-based natural grocery chain.
Around the same time, Southeastern Grocers agreed to pick up four Earth Fare stores in the Sunshine State from their Ashville, N.C.-based owner.
At Southeastern Grocers, we are committed to supporting, enriching and growing the communities we serve,” Anthony Hucker, president and chief executive at Southeastern Grocers, said in a May 27 statement. “Winn-Dixie is deeply rooted in Florida, and we are proud to expand our footprint and enhance our presence throughout the state. In addition to our new store that we opened earlier this year, we look forward to introducing eight more new appealing stores with fresh, quality products at the right price to deliver a shopping experience our associates, customers and communities can always count on.”
The stores acquired from Lucky’s are in Fort Myers, Gainesville, Lake Mary and Melbourne, while the former Earth Fare stores are located in Boynton Beach, Jacksonville, Lakewood Ranch and Viera.
Each converted store will be remodeled with a specialized approach to provide a wide product selection and additional jobs and opportunities for local community members, according to the company, which expects to open each of the new Winn-Dixie stores in 2020.
Southeastern Grocers operates the Winn-Dixie, BI-LO, Harveys and Fresco y Más grocery chains with some 570 stores in seven Southeastern states. The retailer’s grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies are scattered across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.