Southeastern Grocers in Search of Sale

About a year after withdrawing its plans to go public, Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers Inc., (SEG) is exploring a sale. The chain, with a stronghold in Florida, may hold appeal for other retailers seeking to increase their size and buying power in the region. Winn-Dixie has long been a heritage brand in Florida, where it competes against regional powerhouse Publix Super Markets. Southeastern Grocers has focused in recent years on refreshing its stores. Its Winn-Dixie locations are getting a wider selection of fresh foods, new signage, and meal offerings – a refresh like what other grocers are undergoing as they confront increasing competition and an evolving consumer.

The grocery company made a bid to go public in fall 2020, a time when pandemic-fueled demand was driving record sales growth for food retailers, but it postponed its campaign just a few months later and officially withdrew its filing last October. The parent company of Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más, and Harveys Supermarket is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S. SEG grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serve communities throughout the five southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.