The billionaire family behind the fan-favorite Aldi grocery store chain, known for its low prices and no-frills shopping experience, announced this week they will purchase 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys grocery stores, the latest news in the world of regional grocery chains with die-hard followers.
An Aldi discount grocery store stands on December 28, 2017 in Edgewood, Maryland.
Aldi, which has stores in 38 states and Washington D.C., will buy all outstanding shares in Winn-Dixie and Harveys’ parent company Southeastern Grocers amid an expansion that plans to have 2,400 stores open in the U.S. by the end of the year.
Aldi will decide later which stores will keep their original names and which will be converted into new Aldi stores.
Aldi has a cult-like following of shoppers who turn to the store, first opened in Germany in 1913, for a basic grocery experience that requires a 25-cent deposit to use carts, charges customers for bags if they don't bring their own and sells more than 90% of products from Aldi-exclusive brands.
The grocery store has built a name for itself offering discounts that it claims add up to 45% off private label brands by competitors like Walmart, and is an example of a chain that has carved out a unique space amid a competitive grocery market.
A Publix supermarket in Lake Placid, Florida.
Publix—The largest employee-owned grocery chain in the country draws crowds from all over to the Southeast for its submarine sandwiches and fresh-baked cookies. Known colloquially as "PubSubs," Southern Living says their popularity comes down to the build-your-own nature of the sandwiches, the quick-moving lines and the thick loaves of fresh-baked bread. Florida-based Publix has an estimated 230,000 employees and revenue of $48 billion—it was ranked the third-largest private company by Forbes in 2022.
An H-E-B Market store under construction on Buffalo Speedway near Bissonet Friday, June 26, 2009, in ... [+]
H-E-B—A trip to one of the dozens of H-E-B stores in central Texas can be defined by a few simple things: The fresh tortillas (you can snack on a free one while you shop), the items that prove you're in the Lone Star state (need Texas-shaped chicken nuggets?) and foods that glorify locally grown products. H-E-B, ranked by Forbes as the country's sixth largest private company last year, has an estimated revenue of $38.9 billion.
Wegmans Grocery Store's organic bulk shopping aisle with grains, cereals, nuts and more in Boston ... [+]
Wegmans—East Coast shoppers can be so obsessed with Wegmans that a high school theater group in Massachusetts performed an entire original musical about the grocery chain. Students created song parodies, the class crafted a plot and Wegmans even sent merchandise to Algonquin Regional High School after they learned of the show. Fresh-made bakery items, a vast olive bar, bulk candy section and extensive pre-made food options are what fans say drives them to the high-end market, ranked No. 38 on Forbes' list of privately owned companies with a $11.2 billion revenue.
A life-size model of a dairy cow graces the entrance of the new Stew Leonard's supermarket in East ... [+]
Stew Leonard—Stew Leonard is known for its dairy products. Once dubbed the "World's Largest Dairy store" by Ripley's Believe It or Not, the seven-location chain now draws customers for its farm-fresh butter, brand-name ice cream (75,000 quarts were sold in 2022), and fresh mozzarella, which shoppers can see made daily in the store. Last year, Stew's sold 200,000 pounds of the freshly made cheese.
In North Miami Beach, Florida, a Winn Dixie grocery store logo sits above the entrance.
Winn Dixie—Other than being the namesake for the beloved dog in the 2005 film Because of Winn-Dixie, the deep south grocery chain is loved for its private label soft drinks named Chek. The no-frills brand has offered dozens of flavors over the years including fruit punch, orange pineapple, funnel cake and tropical island.
Harris Teeter grocery store.
Harris Teeter—The Southern chain is well-known for its mascot Harry the Happy Dragon, which has made in-store appearances since the 1990s and also has a permanent stand in all bakery sections, which feature free cookies.
Two branches of the Albrecht family own thousands of Aldi and Trader Joe’s locations worldwide and have amassed a net worth $17.9 billion, according to Forbes’ estimates. The Butt family, which opened the H-E-B chain in 1905, is worth an estimated $17.8 billion. The Jenkins family, owners of Publix, is worth $8.8 billion and the Wegman family has a net worth of $4 billion.
Meet The Albrechts, The Reclusive Billionaire Heirs To The Aldi And Trader Joe’s Empire (Business Insider)
America’s Largest Private Companies (Forbes)