Stores Reopening Under Belle Foods Banner

Following its recent acquisition of Southern Family Markets, Birmingham, Ala.-based Belle Foods has begun rebranding the 57 Bruno’s, Piggly Wiggly and Food World stores gained in the deal under its own banner, according to published reports. The stores are located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.

“We want all of the stores under one banner, and feel Belle Foods is a great name to focus on growing,” Belle Foods CEO and CEO Bill White said in a talk to employees that was reported in The Birmingham News last month. “Five to six banners are difficult to operate. It costs us money.”

So far, a Bruno’s store in Hoover, Ala., has undergone the rebranding and another in Alabaster, Ala., is due to make its official debut on Aug. 18, with additional conversions planned for Tuscaloosa, Ala., and as yet unspecified locations in Mississippi. Features of the rebranded stores will include a Belle Foods loyalty card and a supervised child care area where kids can take part in age-appropriate activities while their parents shop.

The goal is to convert all of the acquired stores to the Belle Foods banner within 18 months.

White and his son and business partner, Jeff, are currently gearing up introduce an aggressive marketing strategy for the new banner. The chain aspires to be an alternative to big-box stores for grocery shoppers who want personalized service and the ability to get in and out of stores quickly.