The parent company of Savannah’s newest grocery chain, BI-LO, wants to become a publicly traded company.
Southeastern Grocers announced Thursday its proposed initial public offering. The company operates Winn-Dixie supermarkets as well as BI-LO. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the common stocks have yet to be determined.
BI-LO was previously a public company but went private following a 2009 bankruptcy filing. The company acquired Winn-Dixie in 2012.
Southeastern Grocers has engaged in a repositioning strategy over the last several months. The company bought 165 stores from Delhaize, Food Lion’s parent company in May and sold seven Charlotte-areas stores to Publix earlier this month.
Two weeks ago, the chain bought 22 Piggly Wiggly locations, including six in the Savannah area. Those stores will be rebranded as BI-LO later this year.
Southeastern Grocers is based in Jacksonville, Fla. and operates 685 stores in eight southeastern states.