LAKELAND & JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Publix Super Markets, Inc. and Bi-Lo Holdings, LLC, parent company of the BI-LO and Winn-Dixie grocery store chains, announced they have entered into an agreement under which Publix is expected to purchase seven BI-LO-branded stores in North and South Carolina. The transaction is projected to close in October 2013 and includes seven leased stores as well as major equipment. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Publix has a strong financial foundation that allows us to aggressively grow throughout existing markets and our new Charlotte Division,” said Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw. “Publix offers differentiating services we know our customers have come to expect from us like premier service, valuable savings, quality products and knowledgeable associates. We’re excited to continue building life-long relationships with our Carolina customers and communities.”
“We have and will continue to fine-tune our company and network of stores so that we can reinvest in what matters most for our customers. Examples are our recent announcements to acquire 165 stores from Delhaize Group and 22 stores from Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company,” said Randall Onstead, president and CEO of Bi-Lo Holdings. “This process is helping us fuel our long-term strategy of providing the freshest foods and the best deals to a broader base of customers. Where we are refining our store footprint with this transaction, we will ensure impacted associates are treated respectfully and can pursue other open positions in nearby stores.”
The BI-LO-branded stores that Publix will acquire from Bi-Lo Holdings include:
- 8120 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC
- 12810 York Road, Charlotte, NC
- 9815 Rose Commons Drive, Huntersville, NC
- 158 Hwy. 274, Lake Wylie, SC
- Fincher Farm Rd, Matthews, NC
- 1735 Heckle Blvd., Rock Hill, SC
- 2186 Cherry Rd, Rock Hill, SC
Grand opening dates for the locations will depend on the scope of the remodels. The acquisition will allow Publix to further enhance its footprint in the company’s Charlotte Division. The company continues to look at aggressive growth in the North Carolina market.
William Blair acted as financial advisor to Bi-Lo Holdings and K&L Gates LLP and Driver, McAfee, Peek and Hawthorne L.P. are acting as legal advisors.
Publix is privately owned and operated by its 160,500 employees, with 2012 sales of $27.5 billion. Currently Publix has 1,073 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The company has been named one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” for 16 consecutive years. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized as tops in the grocery business, most recently by an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. For more information, visit the company’s Web site, www.publix.com.
Bi-Lo Holdings, LLC, the parent company of BI-LO and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is the ninth-largest conventional supermarket chain in the United States based on net sales. The company employs nearly 60,000 associates who serve customers in 686 grocery stores and 482 in-store pharmacies throughout the eight southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. BI-LO and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and loyal associates, and strong commitments to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, please visit www.bi-lo.com and www.winn-dixie.com.
Forward-Looking Statements for Bi-Lo Holdings
This press release includes forward-looking statements about future events, which involve risks and uncertainties. Generally, the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “project,” “will,” “could,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “likely,” “goal,” “target,” “objective,” “outlook,” “seek” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature.
Forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations, based on currently available information, and are not guarantees of performance. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, these expectations could prove inaccurate as such statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties, or other risks or uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial, materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. For these reasons, we caution you against relying on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which they are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Source: Publix
