SUPERVALU INC., Eden Prairie, Minn., entered into three separate agreements to sell 21 of its 38 Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy stores for approximately $43 million to three different retailers—Harris Teeter, Matthews, N.C.; Kroger Mid-Atlantic Division, Atlanta; and Food Lion, Salisbury, N.C. SUPERVALU is exploring potential transactions to sell the remaining Farm Fresh stores to current and prospective wholesale customers and certain Farm Fresh employees.
“Over the past two years, we’ve been working diligently and rapidly to transform our business to become the wholesale supplier of choice for grocery retailers across the United States,” says Mark Gross, SUPERVALU’s president and CEO. “In 2016, we sold Save-A-Lot and its network of approximately 1,350 retail locations. Last year, we acquired Unified Grocers and Associated Grocers of Florida, which when combined with substantial organic growth, added more than $5 billion in run rate sales to bring our core wholesale business to nearly $13 billion. Exiting the Farm Fresh banner will enable us to allocate greater resources and energy toward the strategic growth of our wholesale business. We also continue to aggressively pursue other important initiatives, including the monetization of real estate through sale leaseback transactions and cost reduction across the company. We are confident our efforts are driving growth and enhancing our competitive position.”
“This decision was not taken lightly, given the impact on our employees and the communities we serve, but we strongly believe this decision is in the best long-term financial and strategic interest of our business,” Gross adds. “Our leadership team and board of directors remain committed to taking proactive steps to transform our business and drive stockholder value.”
“We are thankful for the tremendous service our employees have delivered at Farm Fresh through the years, and are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to share in the lives and special events of our customers and employees across the Hampton Roads, Richmond, Williamsburg and Elizabeth City communities,” says Anne Dament, executive vice president, retail, marketing and private brands of SUPERVALU. “We are working with the buyers to ensure a smooth transition, and we expect them to offer positions to many Farm Fresh employees. In addition, we plan to offer eligible employees severance and other job transition support.”
In summary, the agreements provide for:
- 10 stores being sold to Harris Teeter, including six in-store pharmacies and three fuel centers.
- Eight stores being sold to Kroger Mid-Atlantic Division, including eight in-store pharmacies and four fuel centers.
- Three stores being sold to Food Lion, including three in-store pharmacies.
