Shoppers Food & Pharmacy Up for Sale

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) is continuing its plans to divest the retail banners that came with its purchase of Supervalu Inc. last year.

Providence, R.I.-based UNFI plans to sell the Shoppers Food & Pharmacy store chain with headquarters in Maryland, according to financial filings, the Baltimore Sun reported.

UNFI is  “well down the path on selling Shoppers, and I’m confident we’ll get that done in the coming months,” CEO Steve Spinner said during a March 5 earnings call, the Sun reported.

Layoffs at Shoppers nearly a year ago triggered fears that the banner would soon be up for sale.

No information was revealed on the earnings call as to who a potential buyer could be or when a sale might be completed, the Sun reported.

Materials filed along with the earnings report indicate that the sale is part of a plan to sell Shoppers as well as the Minnesota-based Cub Foods chain, according to the Sun report.

The news follows sales of the Hornbacher’s and Shop ‘n Save chains by UNFI last year, and Supervalu’s sale of its Farm Fresh banner prior to its acquisition by UNFI.