Less than a year after German discount grocer Aldi completed its acquisition of Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers , adding nearly 400 of its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores to its portfolio, a consortium of private investors has purchased Southeastern Grocers – and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners — from Aldi.

In a Friday evening news release, Southeastern Grocers announced the deal spearheaded by CEO and President Anthony Hucker and New Hampshire-based grocery supplier C&S Wholesale Grocers, a longtime partner of Southeastern.

The agreement includes approximately 170 grocery stores operating under the Winn-Dixie and Harveys banners in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as Winn-Dixie's existing liquor store business.

Aldi, which has already converted some Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to the Aldi format, will continue with its plans to transform some 220 stores acquired in March 2024, Southeastern said in the news release.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

“We are profoundly grateful and deeply honored to continue serving the communities we cherish. Our culture and path forward are firmly grounded in our 100-year legacy — a legacy built on strong values and a shared purpose of caring for one another,” Hucker said in a statement. “Throughout this transformational journey, our commitment to thoughtful, purpose-driven growth remains strong and propels us forward with renewed momentum.

“As we reinvest in the store fleet, we are inspired by listening loudly to the voices of our customers, to elevate and revolutionize our customer experience and store offerings, so that each step we take will reflect our dedication to our people and our communities.”

With the announcement, the new ownership group takes immediate control of the day-to-day operations of Winn-Dixie's grocery and liquor stores and Harveys stores.

In a statement, Eric Winn, CEO of C&S Wholesale Grocers, said, “This consortium continues C&S and SEG’s longstanding partnership. For 20 years, we have worked together to feed our communities. C&S has remained steadfast in our commitment to our transformation strategy, which includes being an industry-leading grocery wholesaler and retailer. Our unrelenting focus on long-term growth continues with an exciting opportunity for C&S to invest in and collaborate deeply with the retail market.

"C&S will leverage our best-in-class capabilities to provide value and quality to shoppers as we continue advancing our legacy of braggingly happy customers.”

Southeastern will also continue to operate the Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores identified for conversion until they are closed for conversion to the Aldi format, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.

Among Southeastern’s stores in Northeast Florida identified for conversion include Harveys at 2261 Edgewood Ave. W. and Winn-Dixie stores at 6060-10 Ft. Caroline Road, 8775 S. Old Kings Road and 3538 Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville; 100 Little Cypress Drive in Saint Johns; and 1545 County Road 220 in Orange Park, the Times-Union previously reported.

Work is already underway at some locations.

It was not immediately clear which Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations were included in the sale announced Friday.

(This story has been updated with some minor adjustments.)