Bottom Dollar Stores for Sale?

Delhaize America's Bottom Dollar Food discount grocery store chain could be up for sale, according to published reports. The banner currently consists of 66 stores in Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Ohio.

According to an industry observer who requested anonymity, the report of the potential Bottom Dollar divesture would bode well for the aggressively expanding Aldi, as well as its Germany-based top competitor, Lidl, which is reportedly considering a North American expansion. The source PG spoke with also cited Walmart, which has been trying to expand its smaller Neighborhood Market concept stores, as a potential buyer of the Bottom Dollar stores, while further dismissing Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle and Supervalu – which also has a Pittsburgh-based division that supplies its western Pennsylvania regional Save-A-Lots and independently owned Shop 'n Save stores – as serious contenders.

Brussels-based Delhaize Group, Delhaize America's parent company, sold its Sweetbay, Harveys and Reid’s chains to Jacksonville, Fla.-based Bi-Lo Holdings in June, and in 2012, closed six southern Bottom Dollar stores and converted 22 others to its Food Lion banner.