Food Lion announced today it has entered into a transaction to purchase 62 BI-LO/Harveys Supermarket stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia from Southeastern Grocers. The addition of these stores will deepen the company’s ability to serve more customers with fresh and affordable products to nourish their families.
“We are so excited to add these new locations to our more than 630 stores across Georgia and the Carolinas,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “We’ve been serving customers in these larger regions for almost 60 years. We’re thrilled to add these locations and serve even more towns and cities across these three states with fresh, quality products at affordable prices every day with the caring, friendly service customers expect from their local Food Lion.”
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 regulatory approval and 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 get to, easy to get in and out of, and easy to shop. 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 longstanding 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 Feeding America® 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.
“Caring for families and communities is at the heart of our brand. We believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent and gas and groceries,” Ham said. “That’s why Food Lion recently announced a goal of providing 1 billion more meals through our hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds, to feed our neighbors in need. As part of that commitment to the most vulnerable in our communities, these new stores will also be paired with local food bank partners. Caring is who we are and what we do at Food Lion.”
Food Lion will be served by ADUSA Distribution, LLC, through the Mauldin, S.C., distribution center once the transaction is complete. The distribution center will support the newly acquired 62 stores and Food Lion’s network of stores. The handover is anticipated to be complete in the first half of 2021.