Winn-Dixie to Merge with Bi-Lo

Struggling Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie announced a deal on Monday to merge with South Carolina's Bi-Lo in a $560 million deal that adds 690 stores and 63,000 employees to Bi-Lo's offerings.
Winn-Dixie closed its store on North Tamiami Trail in 2010 and a Walmart Neighborhood Market is planned for that property. It operates three stores in Sarasota, and the Fruitville Road store is being remodeled and upgraded.
The grocer also pulled out of South Carolina and four other southern states in 2005 as it grappled with increased competition in the grocery business.
The merger greatly adds to Bi-Lo's footprint. Winn-Dixie, even with its struggles in recent years, has held a major presence in Florida for nearly 80 years. That's a market in which Bi-Lo offers no stores.
“With no overlap in our markets, the combined company will have a

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