JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is reflecting on a WINNing year of community impact, growth and remarkable service as 2022 comes to a close. Throughout its ongoing transformational journey, SEG has remained steadfast in prioritizing its local communities both inside and outside of its stores. In 2022, the grocer provided value to its customers to help minimize the impact of inflationary pressures and donated $6.75 million to support organizations that share its passion for serving neighbors in need.
To support its communities throughout the year, SEG, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, donated more than $700,000 and 14 million pounds of food to help alleviate hunger, as well as $2.55 million to support crucial emergency assistance, disaster preparedness and relief programs both locally and in support of the citizens of Ukraine. The grocer also donated more than $1.25 million to Folds of Honor, providing more than 250 educational scholarships to the children and spouses of fallen and disabled military service members; provided 30 nonprofits with funds totaling $300,000 through the grocer’s Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant Program; and donated an additional nearly $2 million in support of various military, health and local community initiatives.
Raymond Rhee, Chief People Officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, “As we reflect on this past year, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for our incredible associates and customers in the many, unique Southeastern communities we serve. It’s been an exceptional year of growth and development, and I am humbled yet again to have witnessed the immense resiliency of our people and our communities. As we look forward to 2023, we look forward to serving, supporting and elevating our communities together; forward to witnessing the wonderful ways our people will collaborate once again; and forward to continuing along our path of growth in our commitment to provide value and convenience to our customers.”
With customers’ time and budget as its focal point, SEG continued its commitment to offer deeper discounts on regularly purchased items to help customers stretch their wallets while shopping in stores, and now online with the introduction of the grocer’s new delivery service in more than 375 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations. SEG’s online shopping platform offers customers the same promotions, savings and prices found in stores with the convenience of delivery in as little as two hours.
SEG continued to focus on its transformational journey in 2022 by renewing and growing its fleet of stores and has completed renewals for more than 80% of its existing stores. This past year, the grocer unveiled 51 remodeled stores and introduced 17 brand-new liquor stores and two brand-new Winn-Dixie locations in its home state of Florida. In March, SEG opened its Winn-Dixie store in Florida’s newest city, Westlake, located in Western Palm Beach County, and earlier this month, unveiled its first ground-up Winn-Dixie store built in more than a decade to the rapidly growing Grand Cypress neighborhood in St. Johns County.
In 2022, SEG and its charitable arm, the SEG Gives Foundation, expanded its giving focus to support more causes committed to elevating belonging, inclusion, and diversity, allowing the grocer to make a larger impact within its communities while empowering authenticity, educating the broader society and eliminating long-standing barriers. The grocer and its foundation also reacted quickly to support the local community when Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida by dispatching mobile pharmacies, opening its Pine Island Winn-Dixie store to the local community for free groceries and providing recovery essentials to more than 2,000 impacted families. Throughout the year, SEG also supported the USO, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, local schools, children’s hospitals and many more. SEG’s wholehearted commitment to its people and communities was recognized this year by Store Brands, naming SEG its Retailer of the Year and presenting the grocer with an Impact Award for community service and local impact.
The grocer’s commitment to serving its customers extended to its own brand products, and its dedication to excellence and quality in their development. In 2022, SEG earned nearly 100 awards for own brand products, including receiving high honors from Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) Salute to Excellence awards, Store Brands Editors’ Picks, the World Dairy Expo Championship for its SE Grocers brand dairy products and USA Wine Ratings, USA Beer Ratings and USA Spirits Ratings for its private label and market exclusive offerings.
SEG’s people-first culture and advocacy of belonging, inclusion and diversity in the workplace earned recognition from top outlets this year, including: Fortune’s 2022 Best Workplaces in Retail list which recognizes the top 20 companies for high levels of trust, respect, credibility, fairness, pride and camaraderie among employees; Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Loved Workplaces ranking No. 26 of the top 100 companies recognized for employee happiness and satisfaction at work, a climb from its 2021 rank of No. 48; featured as the top supermarket in the retail space in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies, ranking third among 32 businesses in the retail category and one of only 400 U.S. companies recognized for customer and employee trust; The Silicon Review® as one of the 30 Fabulous Companies of the Year and certification as a Great Place to Work® for three consecutive years. SEG also garnered awards from trade publications Progressive Grocer and Store Brands for its commitment to workforce development and employee support.
In 2023, SEG will continue its commitment to being the most preferred grocer in the neighborhood though unwavering support of its associates, customers and neighbors in need and by continuing its dedication to provide customers value on high-quality products and added convenience, including an expansion of its online shopping and delivery option to Fresco y Más customers and a rollout of convenient curbside pickup beginning early 2023.
About Southeastern Grocers
Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is an omnichannel retailer and one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S., serving customers in brick-and-mortar grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies as well as online with convenient grocery delivery throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and caring associates and a strong commitment to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, visit www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com.
About SEG Gives Foundation
SEG Gives Foundation is the charitable arm of Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores. The SEG Gives Foundation aligns giving with causes that are priorities to the communities SEG serves, including the fight against hunger, support for military service members and their families, relief to those affected by extreme weather and natural disasters and championing belonging, inclusion and diversity by combating social injustice to bridge the gap of inequities faced by many individuals, families and communities. Southeastern Grocers strives to be ingrained in its communities and, through the SEG Gives Foundation, better the lives of its customers and neighbors.
