Retail Watchers

Food Lion will buy 62 Bi-Lo / Harvey's stores from Southeastern Grocers. The stores will be converted to the Food Lion banner in the first half of 2021.

Southeastern is focusing on its largest chain Winn-Dixie and is looking to phase out the Bi-Lo banner.

That's kind of funny, it means some locations will once again return to being under Ahold's ownership (minus the Bi-Lo name of course).

I am wonder who will buy the other stores operating in NC and SC or will someone buy them? SEG will not continue to run them and they sold the distribution center to Food Lion, so if no buyer comes along and builds new distribution center they are toast.

Well, this means Super BI-LO at the Beach is toast, which featured an unusual logo with the dash between BI and LO with a sun wearing sunglasses. I suppose the remaining BI-LO stores in SC and NC might be rebranded as Winn-Dixie, marking a return to the area for the first time since 2005. It probably won't last—the chain is really too far gone to make for a good acquisition for anybody or a remotely comparable competitor to Kroger or Publix...

Wasn't Harvey's also owned by Food Lion's owner before? I thought Harvey's and Kash N Karry were linked together.

I wonder why SE Grocers is retaining the Harvey's banner at all. They should just convert everything to Winn Dixie. I am assuming whatever Bi-Los they keep will convert to Winn Dixie.

I am not sure if Bi-Lo to Food Lion is an upgrade. Prices will probably be better.

Harvey’s was indeed formerly owned by Delhaize. Southeastern has run it as a “value“ brand, and a good chunk of the stores are former Bi-Lo locations.

storewanderer wrote: ↑June 4th, 2020, 6:24 pm Wasn't Harvey's also owned by Food Lion's owner before? I thought Harvey's and Kash N Karry were linked together.

I wonder why SE Grocers is retaining the Harvey's banner at all. They should just convert everything to Winn Dixie. I am assuming whatever Bi-Los they keep will convert to Winn Dixie.

I am not sure if Bi-Lo to Food Lion is an upgrade. Prices will probably be better.

BI-LO to Food Lion is a downgrade. Prices are higher and necessities and amenities are not present. Food Lion will have difficulty competing against Ingle's, Publix, and Walmart if it did not learn from previous failures.

Groceteria wrote: ↑June 4th, 2020, 8:00 pm Harvey’s was indeed formerly owned by Delhaize. Southeastern has run it as a “value“ brand, and a good chunk of the stores are former Bi-Lo locations.

Wow, the Harveys Stores I saw a few years ago looked nothing like that. They were just very run down conventional stores with scaled back service departments and somewhat limited center store mix, but pricing did not seem any better than Winn Dixie or Bi Lo. This store looks decent enough getting past the yellow walls; at least it looks professional and maintained.

SE Grocers does seem to be making some improvements to its operation and opening a few new stores so it is somewhat interesting that while they keep shrinking, they are also doing things as if they are trying to survive.

It is great to see Harveys is keeping the tradition going of ugly yellow walled stores with painted on department signs. Despite that Fleming Food4Less has been long gone, it is great to see the tradition continues with Harveys and a few remaining Food4Less franchisees scattered around the US.

mbz321 wrote: ↑June 4th, 2020, 7:09 am That's kind of funny, it means some locations will once again return to being under Ahold's ownership (minus the Bi-Lo name of course).

Although only technically, as Food Lion is part of the Delhaize arm (they and Ahold sort of joined together, but only partially, not a complete merger).

Cakesrus wrote: ↑June 4th, 2020, 7:24 am I am wonder who will buy the other stores operating in NC and SC or will someone buy them? SEG will not continue to run them and they sold the distribution center to Food Lion, so if no buyer comes along and builds new distribution center they are toast.

There are a quantity of quality BI-LO store locations in South Carolina; Franklin, North Carolina; and Hephzibah, Georgia, that remain for sale. Existing supermarket competitors could make a push to acquire those stores.