Southeastern Grocers announces 22 store closures by March 25

On Feb. 21, 2019 Southeastern Grocers told several media sources it plans to close 22 locations on or before March 25, 2019. The move follows hard on the heels of the company’s recent emergence from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Prior to the filing, Southeastern Grocers had closed 94 locations and in proceeding months the number of the group’s closed stores had reached nearly 130.  

The Jacksonville-based retailer announced the new bout of closures would affect seven Winn-Dixie locations in Florida; 13 Bi-Lo stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia; and two Harveys locations in Florida and South Carolina.

“We realize that the closure of an underperforming store in your community can be challenging. We do not take these decisions lightly, and only make this tough choice after careful consideration of its impact on our associates and our customers has been made” Joe Caldwell, a spokesman for Southeastern Grocers told The Post and Courier.

Southeastern Grocers has been struggling to keep up with rivals such as Sprouts Markets, Publix, Aldi and Lidl, among others.