Community Corner
Bi-Lo Expands Holdings With Newest Deal
The grocery chain has agreed to buy three other grocers in $265 million acquisition.
Bi-Lo Holdings LLC on Tuesday said it will acquire substantially all of the stores in the Sweetbay, Harveys and Reid's supermarket chains from Belgium-based Delhaize Group for $265 million in cash.
Bi-Lo, which recently relocated most of its corporate functions from Mauldin to Jacksonville, Fla., will acquire 72 Sweetbay stores, plus leases for 10 prior Sweetbay locations, 72 Harveys stores and 11 Reid's stores, totaling 165 stores with approximately 10,000 employees throughout the southeastern United States.
The deal will help Bi-Lo, which owns the Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie grocery chains, reach more customers. The privately held company has 686 Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie stores in the Southeast.
The transaction with Delhaize, which also owns Food Lion, is subject to antitrust approval and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2013.
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