Piggly Wiggly owners to buy pair of Bi-Lo stores
C&S Wholesale Grocers-supplied operators expand in South Carolina, Georgia
Russell Redman | Supermarket News | Dec 21, 2020
Supported by C&S Wholesale Grocers, two independent Piggly Wiggly owners plan to acquire one Bi-Lo supermarket in South Carolina and another in Georgia from Southeastern Grocers.
C&S said Monday the Bi-Lo at 1042 US-80 West in Pooler, Ga., is being purchased by Ashley and Missy Thompson, who own four Piggly Wiggly supermarkets in southeastern Georgia. Charles Starbuck, a new owner for Piggly Wiggly stores in the Southeast, is buying the Bi-Lo store at 760 US-378 in Lexington, S.C.
Plans call for the acquired Bi-Lo stores to be remodeled to Piggly Wiggly locations upon the completion of the transactions, expected in mid-January pending customary closing conditions, Keene, N.H.-based C&S said. Including the two new stores, C&S will support and supply 55 Piggly Wiggly locations in South Carolina and southeastern Georgia, served through the distributor’s North Charleston, S.C., warehouse.
“Our independent owners are excited to grow their existing store footprint and expand the Piggly Wiggly brand in the Southeast,” John Owens, vice president and Southeast general manager for C&S Wholesale Grocers, said in a statement. “We look forward to serving our new customers with the high-quality products and exceptional service that Piggly Wiggly stores are known for.”
Overall, the Piggly Wiggly banner encompasses more than 600 independently owned and operated supermarkets in 17 states, including 53 in South Carolina and coastal Georgia. Sheboygan, Wis.-based Piggly Wiggly Midwest operates and services 96 Piggly Wiggly stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
The transactions with Southeastern Grocers mark the latest Bi-Lo stores sold by the Jacksonville, Fla.-based retailer.
In June, Southeastern Grocers announced the sale of 62 Bi-Lo and Harveys Supermarket stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia and a distribution center in Mauldin, S.C. to Ahold Delhaize USA’s Food Lion chain. Then in September, Southeastern Grocers agreed to sell 23 Bi-Lo and Harveys stores in South Carolina and Georgia to grocery wholesaler and retailer Alex Lee and independent operator B&T Foods. The phaseout of Bi-Lo is part of a five-year business transformation strategy since Southeastern Grocers emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-2018.
