Southeastern Grocers Marks Many Milestones in 2023
Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket, and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is wrapping up a successful 2023, during which the retailer introduced new products and provided more value through online and in-store products, as well as donating more than $3,727,000 to support various local organizations.
“Reflecting on the remarkable journey we’ve taken over the past year, we are immensely grateful for the incredible dedication of our associates and the unwavering support of our loyal customers,” noted Raymond Rhee, Southeastern Grocers' chief people officer. “Throughout 2023, we celebrated many WINNs as we worked together to improve our stores, support our neighbors and lend a helping hand to community members in need. As we turn the page on a new chapter in 2024, we look forward to another year of nourishing communities and fostering genuine connections – both inside and outside of our neighborhood stores.”
Over the past year, the grocer unveiled 17 store remodels providing customers with improved, localized shopping experiences and enhanced offerings, and opened two brand-new Winn-Dixie stores in its home state of Florida: a ground-up store in the recently developed Apopka City Center in Orange County, and another in the new College Park development in its hometown of Jacksonville to support the Arlington community’s revitalization efforts.
Southeastern Grocers also expanded its online shopping service for Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie customers with the introduction of curbside pickup in February to provide time-pressed customers with additional convenience and value. When they shop online at participating stores, customers can opt for easy delivery or curbside pickup in as little as two hours while receiving the same in-store prices, savings and promotions. Also in 2023, Southeastern Grocers received more than 150 awards for its Own Brand products and market-exclusive lines, including recognition from Store Brands and Progressive Grocer. The retailer’s line of Own Brand products offers customers an average savings of more than 20% compared with national brands on almost 8,000 items.
This past year, Southeastern Grocers additionally launched a new exclusive product line, Know & Love, with the goal of providing products made with ingredients customers “know” to create the everyday items they’ll “love.” Prioritizing ingredients, quality and value, the curated line will continue to roll out gradually through 2024, ultimately offering more than 1,000 clean-label products, including dairy, produce, ready-made foods, beverages and household items.
To help customers save even more time and money, Southeastern Grocers launched a new seasonal discount initiative. The Price Hold program lowers prices on more than 1,000 popular items so customers can stretch their grocery budgets when they choose items marked in blue Price Hold signage at Winn-Dixie stores.
In 2023, Southeastern Grocers and the SEG Gives Foundation donated more than $3.7 million to 1,300-plus community partners throughout the grocer’s market area. This included $560,000 and more than 13 million pounds of food to fight food insecurity in partnership with Feeding America and its food bank partners, $460,000 to aid emergency preparedness and disaster relief efforts, and $750,000 to Folds of Honor to provide 150 educational scholarships in honor of fallen and disabled service members.
The grocer also supported various community initiatives in 2023, among them a donation of $350,000 to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, $225,000 to support nine pediatric care facilities, and support for more than 420 local schools ahead of the academic school year and much more. Further, in its fourth year, the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant program provided 40 nonprofit organizations with a total of $400,000 to help address racial disparities in education, health care and food insecurity. In recognition of the company’s ongoing commitment to social responsibility, the grocer received a PG Impact Award in November.
Southeastern Grocers' people-first culture also earned the grocer recognition from national outlets throughout the year. In 2024, the company plans to continue helping neighbors in need while investing in its surrounding communities.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Southeastern Grocers currently operates more than 420 grocery stores, approximately 180 liquor stores and more than 230 in-store pharmacies serving communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The company is No. 44 on The PG 100, PG’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. The SEG Gives Foundation is the charitable arm of Southeastern Grocers.
