Winn-Dixie is starting a new chapter with an easy-to-follow, high-profile rebranding and business acquisition story. After a complicated change in ownership involving Southeastern Grocers, Aldi, and strategic buyers, the grocery chain is restructuring its operations and customer service.
Florida will be the company’s primary focus going forward, with some businesses being sold or closed and others being renovated. The Jacksonville-based grocery store announced that it will increase domestic investments while closing businesses in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Certain locations will become new Winn-Dixie locations, and a number of stores are being sold to other banners, like Food City and Piggly Wiggly.
The brand will be referred to as “The Winn-Dixie Company,” starting next year, emphasizing the history of the brand.“For a century, Winn-Dixie has proudly called Florida home,” said Anthony Hucker, CEO of Southeastern Grocers.Additionally, the business stated that it will convert specific Harveys Supermarket locations at the appropriate times and locations, a strategy it explained to USA Today.
It began with a shift in ownership.
In August 2023, Aldi agreed to purchase all of Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket. In March 2024, the agreement had been signed. A group of private investors led by the CEO of Southeastern Grocers and C&S Wholesale Grocers quickly repurchased about 170 Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores from Aldi across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi in February of this year. Additionally, the investors repurchased Winn-Dixie’s liquor division. Southeastern Grocers will continue to run those stores until they close for conversion, while Aldi kept about 220 outlets and plans to convert them to its own format by 2027.
In the future, the corporation plans to change its name as “The Winn-Dixie Company” in early 2026, highlighting the move toward Florida as its primary market. “As we enter our next century as The Winn-Dixie Company – a brand-new 100-year-old company – we are accelerating growth where our roots run deepest while staying true to our purpose of feeding and enriching the communities, families and neighbors who have supported us for generations,” explained CEO Anthony Hucker.
Also, a representative for Southeastern Grocers confirmed a brand change for a few Harveys supermarkets: beginning in early 2026, the company intends to transform some Harveys Supermarket locations into Winn-Dixie stores “in markets where that format best meets the needs of our customers and communities,” they told USA Today.
Where stores are changing
By early next year, the Jacksonville, Florida-based corporation intends to close outlets in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Southeastern Grocers has made agreements to sell 8 Harveys Supermarket stores and 32 Winn-Dixie outlets throughout those states in order to accomplish this. Food City and Piggly Wiggly have purchased a few stores, and closures or transfers are anticipated to be completed by the beginning of next year. With locations in Brunswick, Folkston, Lake Park, St. Simons Island, and Valdosta, the retailer will still continue to operate in southern Georgia. The company anticipates managing nearly 130 traditional grocery stores and 140 freestanding or grocery-adjacent liquor stores in Florida and Georgia after the completion of these purchases.
Southeastern Grocers bought three Hitchcock’s Markets in Florida—in Alachua, Keystone Heights, and Williston—as part of their plan to rebrand. These will be transformed into Winn-Dixie stores, which will open in stages. The new Williston store is scheduled to open in early December, while the other two are anticipated to open by summer 2026. The company is also working on dozens of remodels and new store initiatives.
Besides its storefronts, Southeastern Grocers is experimenting with new collaborations and conveniences, like providing delivery via Amazon in Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida, and growing its award-winning Own Brand lineup.
Overall, this is a focused rebranding rather than a retreat.