ALDI buys Winn-Dixie grocery stores across the US, including Mississippi Coast locations

Four Winn-Dixie locations in South Mississippi are among 400 grocery stores across five Southern states that will soon be sold to a growing chain that just came to the Coast.

Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys grocery stores, announced Wednesday it has entered into an agreement to sell its stores to ALDI.

Under the proposed merger, ALDI will acquire all outstanding SEG capital stock in an all-cash transaction.

This includes the 400 stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, where the company said 75% of the stores are located.

The sale is expected to close in the first half of 2024 and SEG will continue to operate its stores until the transaction is completed.

The press release said ALDI will evaluate which locations will convert to the ALDI format, and the others will continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys.

There are Winn-Dixie stores in Ocean Springs, D’Iberville, Gulfport and Long Beach.

The only ALDI store in South Mississippi opened last year in Ocean Springs. ALDI opened its first store in Germany in 1961. Now headquartered in Iowa, the discount grocery chain has 2,000 locations across the U.S.

“The transaction supports our long-term growth strategy across the United States, including plans to add 120 new stores nationwide this year to reach a total of more than 2,400 stores by year-end, said Jason Hart, CEO of ALDI.