Publix and Aldi are bidding for Lucky’s Market locations that are closing in Florida
Lucky’s Market says it’s in talks to sell 11 of its stores in Florida to Aldi and Publix.
Aldi, a German discount grocery chain, and Florida-based Publix will lease five stores apiece, Lucky’s Market announced late Tuesday. Aldi is also looking to buy one of Lucky’s locations.
Publix confirmed to the Miami Herald Tuesday morning that it’s under contract to acquire the leases of Lucky’s stores in Orlando, Clermont, Ormond Beach, Naples and Neptune Beach. Aldi will be acquiring stores in Coral Springs, Oakland Park, Sarasota, Vineland, Orlando and Venice, Lucky’s Market announced Thursday.
It’s still unclear what Publix’s plans are for the Lucky’s Market locations but it’s possible that the company will choose to use the space for its GreenWise Markets, a grocery chain that focuses on natural and organic products and is typically smaller than a traditional Publix store.
GreenWise Markets are Publix’s versions of Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods and is the same size as the Lucky’s Market in Ormond Beach, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. A Publix spokeswoman told the publication she could not give any additional details about Publix’s plans for the space and said that the company does “not speculate on potential locations for GreenWise Markets.”
The news comes a week after Lucky’s Market, an organic, lower-cost grocery chain, began “deep” going out of business sales in 32 stores.
Twenty-one of those stores are in Florida and are expected to close by Feb. 12. Three are in Broward County. Only one — in West Melbourne — will remain open in the state. Several new stores in the process of opening also will be shutting down.
The negotiations were announced at the same time Lucky’s decided to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Lucky’s says it should have enough money to “meet its financial obligations, including those to its employees, as well as to vendors for the continued supply of product to its operating locations.”
Besides the store in Melbourne, Lucky’s Market said their stores would remain open in Traverse City, MI; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Columbia, MO; North Boulder and Fort Collins, CO. But documents filed in Delaware’s federal bankruptcy court Monday shows the company is planning to sell the remaining seven stores too, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Lucky’s agreements with Aldi and Publix are not final. They are subject to court approval and the bidding process.
Note: This story was updated on Thursday with new information on the stores Aldi is acquiring.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 10:28 AM.
