Winn-Dixie Owner Southeastern Grocers Considers Sale

Nearly one year after cancelling its plans to go public, Florida-based supermarket chain owner Southeastern Grocers is reportedly considering an outright sale of the company.

The company, which owns and operates about 420 Southern grocery stores under three different brands, is currently in talks with several prospective buyers for its operations, according to a Wall Street Journal report, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

A representative from Southeastern Grocers told PYMNTS that the company is “always reviewing ways to enhance shareholder value, and to the extent that credible strategic or other shareholder value enhancing transactions emerge, we have an obligation to consider them.”

“While the potential for any such transaction remains ever present in our industry, we will remain focused upon advancing our transformational strategy, supporting our associates and delivering a world-class shopping experience for our customers,” the representative said.

This potential move to sell its company to another buyer echoes another recent supermarket brand merger between Kroger and Albertsons last month, which shook up the U.S. grocery industry and led to a sector-wide reevaluation of what grocery commerce will look like going forward.

Grocery chains across the U.S. are currently looking to bolster their customer base and stand out from their competitors by growing their eCommerce offerings.

In fact, Winn-Dixie, one of Southeastern Grocers’ brands, is making its grocery stores available to eCommerce consumers through its recent partnership with DoorDash.

A November PYMNTS report, “Digital Economy Payments: The Rise Of Mobile eCommerce,” showcases this digital grocery shopping trend in its analysis.

The report found that 5.4% of consumers polled bought groceries using personal computers, and 9.8% of people purchased groceries with mobile devices.

Groceries and food purchased using online channels or through digital delivery services are growing in popularity, and can make a big difference in what sets one grocery chain apart from others in the eyes of not only consumers, but also investors.