C&S Wholesale Grocers will continue to supply Winn-Dixie and Harveys supermarkets in the Southeast and Anthony Hucker will remain as CEO of the Jacksonville, FL-based grocery chain Southeastern Grocers (SEG). That announcement came on February 7 as a consortium of private investors, spearheaded by Hucker and C&S, acquired Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners from Aldi U.S.
Aldi U.S. previously purchased SEG in March 2024 from private equity firms Fidelity Investments, Osterweis Capital Management, Millstreet Capital Management LLC and Lone Star Funds.
This new agreement includes approximately 170 supermarkets in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, as well as more than 150 Winn-Dixie liquor stores that the chain currently operates.
Hucker, who served as president of Landover, MD-based Giant Food from 2011-2013, will now add chairman duties and continue as chief executive and president of SEG.
“We are profoundly grateful and deeply honored to continue serving the communities we cherish. Our culture and path forward are firmly grounded in our 100-year legacy – a legacy built on strong values and a shared purpose of caring for one another. Throughout this transformational journey, our commitment to thoughtful, purpose-driven growth remains strong and propels us forward with renewed momentum. As we reinvest in the store fleet, we are inspired by listening loudly to the voices of our customers, to elevate and revolutionize our customer experience and store offerings, so that each step we take will reflect our dedication to our people and our communities,” said the British-born executive, who has been at the helm of SEG since 2016.
Eric Winn, CEO of C&S Wholesale Grocers, said, “This consortium continues C&S and SEG’s longstanding partnership. For 20 years, we have worked together to feed our communities. C&S has remained steadfast in our commitment to our transformation strategy, which includes being an industry-leading grocery wholesaler and retailer. Our unrelenting focus on long-term growth continues with an exciting opportunity for C&S to invest in and collaborate deeply with the retail market. C&S will leverage our best-in-class capabilities to provide value and quality to shoppers as we continue advancing our legacy of braggingly happy customers.”
Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi USA, commented, “When we announced our acquisition of Southeastern Grocers, we shared that we intended for a meaningful number of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets to continue to operate, and we’re delivering on that promise while also supporting Aldi’s growth. Over the last year, we’ve seen firsthand how C&S Wholesale Grocers, Southeastern Grocers and their teams have continued to deliver great quality, service and value to their customers, and we are confident they will lead the company successfully into its next chapter.”
Currently, Aldi is in the process of converting approximately 100 Winn-Dixie stores to its discount format and that should be completed by the end of this year. The remaining 120 units will be converted by 2027. All told, Aldi expects to open 225 new U.S. stores in 2025, a company record.
