200 Winn-Dixie Stores May Close, 5 Georgia Locations Left: Report

Hundreds of Winn-Dixie stores may be closing as the supermarket chain's parent company will potentially file for bankruptcy as soon as March, according to reports. The chain may close up to 200 stores; the fate of the handful of Georgia locations is unknown.

Bi-Lo LLC, Winn-Dixie's parent company, went bankrupt in 2005 and 2009, according to Bloomberg, who also reported that Bi-Lo may still find a way to restructure its $1 billion of debt without involving the court.

Georgia has Winn-Dixies in Kinglsand, Saint Simon's Island and Brunswick in the southeast; as well as two locations in Columbus in the western part of the state.

Bloomberg cited sources anonymously, as the process isn't public. Quartz reported the possible bankruptcy and subsequent closures are possibly a result of Amazon moving into the area, with food delivery services and the recent acquisition of Whole Foods being large factors.

Lone Star Funds, a private equity firm, bought Bi-Lo in 2005, Quartz reported. They helped fund Bi-Lo's acquisition of Winn-Dixie. Bloomberg reported that Lone Star Funds has "feasted" on Bi-Lo, paying itself over $800 million between 2012 and 2017.

Article image via Google Street View screen grab