C&S Wholesale Grocers LLC has entered a proposed transaction to become the majority owner of The Winn-Dixie Co. Previously in 2025, C&S, as part of a consortium of private investors, acquired Winn-Dixie from Aldi U.S. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027.
Anthony Hucker, CEO of Winn-Dixie, will continue to serve as a special adviser over the coming months. Until the transaction closes, Raymond Rhee will serve as Winn-Dixie CEO. Winn-Dixie says it remains committed to its Jacksonville, Fla., community and will continue to have an office presence.
“The collective insights gathered during our C&S-SpartanNash integration have enabled us to further enhance our support of customers — in all formats — across the United States. Our combination has already strengthened the skills and capabilities we need to win in the marketplace while clearly demonstrating that our continued growth has been greatly enhanced with our transformative M&A,” says Eric Winn, CEO of C&S. “To continue to grow in the industry — not only today, but well into the future — there is even more opportunity within our retail footprint, especially in the Southeast. I want to thank Anthony Hucker for his leadership as we continue the strong legacy of C&S and Winn-Dixie for many generations to come.”
“Winn-Dixie has always been more than a business to me — it is home,” Hucker says. “This proposed next step with C&S is a natural evolution of a partnership built on trust, shared purpose and a deep belief in what the hometown grocer still means to the communities we serve. As my role evolves, my commitment to Winn-Dixie only grows stronger, and I have full confidence in Raymond and this leadership team, as they are deeply experienced and fully committed to the future we are building.”
This combination will ensure that Winn-Dixie’s strategic growth plans thrive by providing long-term solutions to structural costs and supply chain capabilities, according to the company. As a hometown grocer based in Florida for more than a century, Winn-Dixie says it has earned its place as a trusted neighborhood staple by building lasting relationships with customers and communities — and that legacy sets the course for it to continue its strategic growth plan to:
- Refresh the Winn-Dixie brand and customer experience.
- Open new stores and continue its growth momentum.
- Refresh stores and upgrade experiences.
- Offer more of what customers love, including its Own Brands.
“Our industry is rapidly evolving, and this is another important advancement in our ability to support hometown grocers,” Winn says. “I look forward to welcoming Winn-Dixie team members into the C&S family. As partners for more than 20 years, this will be a seamless integration that will enable us to leverage efficiencies and economies of scale to drive growth for our team members, customers, shoppers and communities to build on our legacy of braggingly happy customers.”
