Winn-Dixie to Sell 70 Stores

Jacksonville, Fla., Bankrupt grocery-store chain Winn-Dixie Stores agreed to sell 79 locations to undisclosed buyers for about $38.7 million. Grocery wholesaler and retailer Supervalu Inc. has placed a $9.5 million bid on 37 of the stores, according to a report from The Business Journal of Jacksonville. The 20 potential buyers, who were not named, plan to continue operating those locations as food and beverage stores, Winn-Dixie said in a statement. The 79 stores are part of the 326 locations the company said it intends to sell as part of a new “store footprint” strategy. “We are working hard to find buyers for additional stores who will continue to operate them as well as offer employment opportunities for our associates,” said Peter Lynch, president and CEO, in a prepared statement. Subject to court approval, the company anticipates that these sales would begin on or about Aug. 1, and be completed in early to mid-September.