SALISBURY, N.C. — Food Lion announced a major step forward today to expand its store network through previously announced plans to purchase 62 BI-LO/Harveys Supermarket stores from Southeastern Grocers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act of 1976, which satisfies one of the conditions of closing the transaction of the purchase of these stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The acquisition will deepen Food Lion’s ability to serve more customers with fresh and affordable products to nourish their families.
“We are thrilled to move forward to add these new locations to our more than 630 existing stores across Georgia and the Carolinas,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “Nourishing our neighbors with fresh, quality products at affordable prices is core to everything we do. We look forward to opening these stores early next year and welcoming our neighbors in these towns and cities into their new Food Lion.”
With this step completed, Food Lion is actively recruiting qualified associates in these communities to join the Food Lion team. Food Lion expects to hire more than 4,650 associates to serve customers at the 62 new stores.
The stores will remain open as BI-LO and Harveys Supermarket until the transaction is complete, which is expected to take place over a staggered period from January to April, 2021 pending customary closing requirements. Food Lion plans to operate all the stores under the Food Lion banner.
With more stores in more neighborhoods across its footprint, Food Lion is easy to shop and easy to get in and out of quickly. In addition to its longstanding heritage of low prices, Food Lion also makes shopping easy and affordable for customers through its MVP loyalty program, its award-winning Shop & Earn personalized monthly rewards program and with weekly promotions, hot sales and everyday low prices. Food Lion also has a convenient mobile app that provides easy access to digital coupons, mobile shopping lists and much more.
Food Lion also has a long history of caring for its neighbors in need. As the first grocery retailer in the country to establish a partnership with Feeding America to develop a retail food rescue program more than 20 years ago, all stores in the Food Lion network are paired with a local feeding agency to receive donations through Food Lion’s retail food rescue program and support through its hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds. Through its network of 30 food bank partners across its 10-state footprint, Food Lion ensures food that is unable to be sold in its stores but is perfectly safe to eat is donated to serve those in need.
This year, based on unprecedented need caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Food Lion made its largest one-time hunger relief gift in the company’s history, donating more than $3.1 million to support its food bank partners and medical research. The company also made additional gifts this year for hunger relief, including donating more than 123 million meals through efforts including volunteerism, funding to support food bank transportation capacity, and funding to support new school distribution models to address child hunger.
“Caring for families and communities is who we are at Food Lion. We know that our neighbors are counting on us now more than ever and we are proud to stand beside our food bank partners, doing our part to bring meals and hope to families in need,” Ham said.
Food Lion will be served by ADUSA Distribution, LLC, through the acquisition of the Mauldin, S.C., distribution center. ADUSA Distribution expects to hire more than 800 associates to support Food Lion’s network of stores. The transaction is anticipated to be complete in the first half of 2021.
About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 77,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness, and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 500 million meals to individuals and families since 2014, and has committed to donate 1 billion more meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com or job applicants may visit www.foodlion.com/careers.
