After being out of the Statesboro Market for six years, Food Lion will be coming back to Statesboro in 2021. They have entered a purchase agreement for our BI-LO in the Statesboro Mall. The acquisition of the Statesboro BI-LO is part of a larger deal Food Lion announced today. Food Lion has entered into an agreement to purchase 62 BI-LO/Harveys Supermarket stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia from Southeastern Grocers.
In a list provided by Food Lion, this will include Statesboro, Metter, Pembroke, Reidsville, Springfield, Sylvania and the Vidalia stores in our area. Under the agreement, the stores will continue operating as BI-LO or Harvey’s until the sale is completed early next year.
Food Lion had a presence in our community for decades. They operated a flagship store where Dunham’s is located now but that store has been closed for over a decade.
The last two Harvey’s stores in Statesboro were located on Fair Road and on Northside Drive West. They were both acquired by Food World in 2014 and converted to the Food World Banner.
No other local details have been released at this time regarding how this will affect local BI-LO employees or other operational details.
We have reached out to Statesboro BI-LO Manager Tod Marsh to get his reaction. Tod is referring all calls regarding the sale to his corporate office at this time.
Tod and his team have become extraordinary community servants and his popularity and support in our community is unwavering. Tod is in the store daily and operates it as if it was a locally-owned store. They have led the way in times of crisis from hurricanes to COVID-19 and in giving back to our community.
Most notably, they are the platinum sponsor for the annual Feed The Boro Thanksgiving Day event. Last year, thanks to BI-LO’s support, Feed the Boro rallied over 800 volunteers to prepare and deliver over 5,000 traditional Thanksgiving meals to citizens in Bulloch, Candler and Evans counties.
Here is a list of all Georgia BI-LO or Harvey’s stores being acquired by Food Lion in Georgia:
2310 N. Slappey St. Albany Ga. 31701
1511 S. Radium Springs Rd. Albany Ga. 31705
2800 Old Dawson Rd. Albany Ga. 31707
1108 S. Pierce St. Alma Ga. 31510
2803 Wrightsboro Rd. Augusta Ga. 30909
12246 Columbia St. Ste. F Blakely Ga. 39823
775 Ga. Highway 122 W Hahira Ga. 31632
42 Surrey Plz. Hawkinsville Ga. 31036
955 S. 1st St. Jesup Ga. 31545
155 S. Leroy St. Metter Ga. 30439
207 Mcpherson St. Nashville Ga. 31639
540 W. Bacon St. Pembroke Ga. 31321
1207 W. Screven St. Quitman Ga. 31643
246 S. Main St. Reidsville Ga. 30453
1041 Franklin Springs St. Royston Ga. 30662
1451 Ga. Highway 21 S Springfield Ga. 31329
325 Northside Dr. E. Ste. 1 Statesboro Ga. 30458
1109 W. Ogeechee St. Sylvania Ga. 30467
1404 E. Jackson St. Thomasville Ga. 31792
2201 US Highway 41 N Tifton Ga. 31794
1101 E. 1st St. Vidalia Ga. 30474
1312 Plant Ave. Waycross Ga. 31501
Complete Press Release from Food Lion
Food Lion announced today it has entered into a transaction to purchase 62 BI-LO/Harveys Supermarket stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia from Southeastern Grocers. The addition of these stores will deepen the company’s ability to serve more customers with fresh and affordable products to nourish their families.
“We are so excited to add these new locations to our more than 630 stores across Georgia and the Carolinas,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “We’ve been serving customers in these larger regions for almost 60 years. We’re thrilled to add these locations and serve even more towns and cities across these three states with fresh, quality products at affordable prices every day with the caring, friendly service customers expect from their local Food Lion.”
Food Lion expects to hire more than 4,650 associates to serve customers at the 62 new stores.
The stores will remain open as BI-LO and Harveys Supermarket until the transaction is complete, which is expected to take place over a staggered period from January to April 2021, pending regulatory approval and customary closing requirements. Food Lion plans to operate all the stores under the Food Lion banner.
With more stores in more neighborhoods across its footprint, Food Lion is easy to get to, easy to get in and out of, and easy to shop. In addition to its longstanding heritage of low prices, Food Lion also makes shopping easy and affordable for customers through its MVP loyalty program, its award-winning Shop & Earn personalized monthly rewards program and with weekly promotions, hot sales, and everyday low prices. Food Lion also has a convenient mobile app that provides easy access to digital coupons, mobile shopping lists and much more.
Food Lion also has a longstanding history of caring for its neighbors in need. As the first grocery retailer in the country to establish a partnership with Feeding America to develop a retail food rescue program more than 20 years ago, all stores in the Food Lion network are paired with a local feeding agency to receive donations through Food Lion’s retail food rescue program and support through its hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds. Through its network of 30 Feeding America® food bank partners across its 10-state footprint, Food Lion ensures food that is unable to be sold in its stores but is perfectly safe to eat, is donated to serve those in need.
“Caring for families and communities is at the heart of our brand. We believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent and gas and groceries,” Ham said. “That’s why Food Lion recently announced a goal of providing 1 billion more meals through our hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds, to feed our neighbors in need. As part of that commitment to the most vulnerable in our communities, these new stores will also be paired with local food bank partners. Caring is who we are and what we do at Food Lion.”
Food Lion will be served by ADUSA Distribution, LLC, through the Mauldin, S.C., distribution center once the transaction is complete. The distribution center will support the newly acquired 62 stores and Food Lion’s network of stores. The handover is anticipated to be complete in the first half of 2021.
About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs 77,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 500 million meals to individuals and families since 2014, and has committed to donate 1 billion more meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.
