Key Takeaways
- Southeastern Grocers is selling or closing several Harveys and Winn-Dixie stores in Georgia to focus on Florida.
- The company will become The Winn-Dixie Company in 2026 and concentrate on its home state and southern Georgia.
- Eight grocery stores in Georgia will be affected, including closures or sales in Columbus and Swainsboro, which will become a Piggly Wiggly.
- Winn-Dixie locations near the Florida border will stay open, with about 130 stores operating in the new territory.
- The company plans to modernize stores and acquire Hitchcock’s Markets to convert them into Winn-Dixie locations.
Several Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery stores across Georgia are set to be sold or closed as the parent company shifts its focus to Florida. This change will directly impact shoppers in at least eight Georgia towns.
What’s Happening: The parent company of Winn-Dixie, Southeastern Grocers, announced it is changing its name to The Winn-Dixie Company in early 2026. It will now concentrate its business on its home state of Florida and neighboring southern Georgia.
The Georgia Impact: This change will affect eight grocery stores in the state. The Winn-Dixie in Columbus will either close or be sold, while several Harveys Supermarkets will get new owners.
- The Harveys in Swainsboro will become a Piggly Wiggly.
- Stores in Augusta, Douglas, Eastman, Fitzgerald, McRae-Helena, and Sandersville are waiting for new owners to be announced.
What Stays Open: Winn-Dixie stores located in far southern Georgia, near the Florida border in areas like Valdosta, will remain open. The company will continue to operate about 130 grocery stores in its new, smaller territory.
The Big Picture: The company said this move is part of a plan to invest in and modernize its stores for future growth. It is also buying Hitchcock’s Markets in North Florida to convert them into new Winn-Dixie locations.
Catch Up Quick: This decision comes after discount grocer Aldi bought Southeastern Grocers two years ago. A year later, a group of investors purchased the Winn-Dixie and Harveys brands from Aldi.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
