The grocery chain said it had completed its acquisition of the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys, many of which are also set to become Aldi stores. Grocery giant Aldi plans to add 800 new stores in the U.S. over the next five years.The German-owned, Illinois-based chain said in a release Thursday it plans to build or expand hundreds of Aldi locations in the company’s existing Northeast and Midwest strongholds, as well as in the western U.S. and Southern California. A first Las Vegas location is planned, too. Meanwhile, in the Southeast, the company will convert many Winn-Dixies and Harveys locations into Aldis, though “a meaningful” number of them will remain under their current brands. Aldi said Thursday its acquisition of Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys, had been completed. Aldi said it expects that about 50 stores will begin the conversion process in the latter half of 2024, with the majority of them reopening as Aldi in 2025. “Our growth is fueled by our customers, and they are asking for more Aldi stores in their neighborhoods nationwide,” CEO Jason Hart said in the statement. He continued, “With this commitment to add 800 stores in the next five years, we’ll be where our shoppers need us while positively impacting the communities we serve.” – Read more