C&S Wholesale Grocers has put forth a proposal to become the majority owner of The Winn-Dixie Company, aiming to “ensure that Winn-Dixie's strategic growth plans thrive by providing long-term solutions to structural costs and supply chain capabilities.”
“As longstanding partners for more than 20 years, this is a natural evolution of our partnership that will enable us to leverage efficiencies and economies of scale to drive growth for our team members, customers, shoppers and communities,” C&S Wholesale Grocers Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing Lauren La Bruno told SeafoodSource.
The move, which is expected to close in early 2027 and marks the latest M&A move for C&S, comes more than a year after a consortium of private investors that included C&S acquired Southeastern Grocers, which then rebranded late last year to become The Winn-Dixie Company.
C&S CEO Eric Winn said the new ownership structure will be “a seamless integration that will enable us to leverage efficiencies and economies of scale to drive growth for our team members, customers, shoppers, and communities to build on our legacy of braggingly happy customers.”
Besides operational efficiencies, Winn added there is “even more opportunity within our retail footprint, especially in the Southeast,” so C&S plans to open new Winn-Dixie stores and refresh the Winn-Dixie brand and customer experience as part of the structural shift.
Earlier this summer, Winn-Dixie expanded its seafood offerings as “part of broader enhancements designed to better meet each community's unique needs and preferences,” The Winn-Dixie Company Senior Director for Communications and Community Meredith Hurley told SeafoodSource.
“Several locations now offer expanded fresh seafood selections, including larger seafood-on-ice displays and the convenience of our ‘Seafood Made Easy’ program, which allows customers to pair their seafood choice with vegetables and seasonings for an easy cook-at-home meal,” Hurley said.
As part of expanded Hispanic offerings across departments, several stores also began featuring whole fish such as snapper and corvina, with Hurley explaining the amount of seafood carried in each store varies as assortments are tailored to local preferences and demand.
The majority ownership announcement from C&S highlights plans to add private-label products but does not expand on specific plans for the seafood department.
