Southeastern Grocers Delivers More Than 40 Enhanced Stores in 2020
JACKSONVILLE, FL - The best way to end a year is showing the progress and growth that has been made over the past 365 days, and that is exactly what Southeastern Grocers is doing as it has concluded 2020 with the completion of 41 new and renewed grocery stores throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
“The challenges of this year only strengthened our resolve to support, elevate, and grow the communities we serve. Our dedicated team of associates worked tirelessly to help make our communities safer and stronger—while also working to continue to refresh and grow our network of stores,” said Anthony Hucker, President and CEO. “Southeastern Grocers provides our customers and communities a shopping experience they can always count on, and we are delighted to have invested in 41 new and renewed grocery stores this year.”
The parent company of retailers BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket, and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, Southeastern Grocers announced that it successfully renewed 32 stores to improve shopping experiences, opened eight new Winn-Dixie stores in Florida, and expanded its Hispanic grocery chain Fresco y Más into a new community in Southwest Florida, according to a press release.
Each of the grocer’s renewed and new stores are designed to provide a unique shopping experience for customers and meet the specific needs and preferences of each community that the store occupies. All stores feature fresh produce from local and regional growers in order to provide peak freshness. The stores now also offer a wide selection of grab-and-go meal options, perfect for shoppers looking for convenience.
The expansion began in February with the opening of a new Winn-Dixie market in Jacksonville, Florida, to meet the needs of the community which potentially faced a food desert in its local Brentwood community. From there, Southeastern expanded its Fresco y Más chain to support the growing Southwest Florida Hispanic community in October, and opened four new stores in Boynton Beach, Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Lakewood Ranch communities on November 11, followed by Lake Mary and West Melbourne on December 9.
Over the course of the year, Southeastern Grocers has also introduced over 700 new jobs and opportunities across Florida and has welcomed 2,000 new associates throughout 2020.
Where will the grocer expand next, and what role will fresh produce play in its new store concepts? AndNowUKnow will continue to go in search of answers to bring you the latest.