Bi-Lo and Harris Teeter to buy select Piggly Wiggly stores

Bi-Lo Holdings and Harris Teeter announced plans to acquire select Piggly Wiggly-branded stores. Bi-Lo plans to acquire 22 Piggly Wiggly stores in South Carolina and coastal Georgia. Harris Teeter plans to purchase six locations and a future store location in the Charleston, S.C., area.

"We look forward to welcoming these new associates to the Bi-Lo Holdings family and to building on the strength of these stores," stated Randall Onstead, president and CEO of Bi-Lo Holdings. "We will continue to fine-tune our company and network of stores so that we can reinvest in what matters most for our customers — the freshest foods, the best deals and really connecting to their neighborhoods."

Bi-Lo’s transaction is expected to close in fourth quarter 2013. Upon its completion, the acquired stores will be rebranded under the Bi-Lo banner name.

Harris Teeter’s transaction is expected to be completed in October and expects to close the acquired stores for three to four days for stocking and training of employees.

“These store locations and the dedicated associates who work in them make this an especially attractive transaction for Harris Teeter,” said Thomas W. Dickson, chairman of the board, and CEO of Harris Teeter. “We plan to remodel and expand a number of these locations to create brand new Harris Teeter stores to serve our customers.”