SUPERVALU INC., Minneapolis, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 22 Food Lion grocery stores that are being sold in connection with the merger between Ahold and Delhaize. The 22 Food Lion stores are located in northern West Virginia, western Maryland, south central Pennsylvania and northwestern Virginia. The acquired stores will be converted to SUPERVALU’s Shop ‘N Save format and operated by SUPERVALU.

“I’m pleased that SUPERVALU will acquire these stores, which should provide excellent opportunities for our wholesale customers, who were unable to buy them outright,” says Mark Gross, SUPERVALU president and CEO. “The stores will operate under our Shop ‘N Save format, which we believe is a great format for us and our wholesale customers. This acquisition is another example of the work we’re doing to grow our business and to deliver creative solutions for our wholesale customers.”

The stores being acquired are conventional supermarkets that are approximately 35,000 square feet in size. As Shop ‘N Save stores, the plan will be to deliver a full-variety meat department, full-service delis and bakeries and an expanded produce department. Additionally, these 22 stores will receive comprehensive marketing, advertising and promotional support, including implementation of the Shop ‘N Save loyalty card program and interactive website and mobile app.