Southeastern Grocers Fast-Tracks Cage-Free Egg Policy

15 Abr 2016, 00:00 AM EDT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Southeastern Grocers, parent company to BI-LO, Winn-Dixie and
Harveys stores, has committed to converting 100 percent of its private
label eggs to cage-free during 2017, and targeting the expansion of that
commitment to the remainder of eggs sold by 2025, based on availability.

In 2015, BI-LO, Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores sold tens of millions of
eggs from the company’s private label brands, and the grocery chain will
be among the first of its size to convert all of its private label eggs
to cage-free within a two-year timeframe.

Southeastern Grocers has been progressively advancing its commitment to
the cage-free egg movement for years, pledging in 2008 to give
purchasing preference to producers of cage-free hens and increasing the
amount of cage-free eggs sold. Currently, cage-free eggs represent less
than five percent of private label eggs sold, but customers’ demand for
them has been steadily increasing.

“In the past two years alone, we’ve seen an average increase of nearly
30 percent in the sales of our cage-free eggs. It’s clear this is both a
product and cause that’s important to our customers,” said Michael Bove,
Group Vice President of Fresh at Southeastern Grocers.

“We are totally committed to working closely with our vendor partners to
achieve our 2025 target, to balance our goals of providing customers
with quality products at affordable prices and ensuring we are
responsible in our approach to animals and the conditions they live in,”
said Michael Bove.

“Sourcing our eggs from cage-free farms is a major step forward in our
effort to demonstrate our leadership on animal welfare,” said Bove.

Southeastern Grocers worked with several advocacy groups, including The
Humane League and the Humane Society, as its policy was finalized. The
company already has an animal welfare policy in place that states that
animals raised for food should be cared for and treated humanely, in
order to protect their health and the health of those who raise and
harvest them.

Customers can check BI-LO, Winn-Dixie and Harveys social pages and
websites for updates on progress made towards reaching 100 percent
cage-free eggs. For more information, please visit www.bi-lo.com,
www.harveyssupermarkets.com
and www.winn-dixie.com.

About Southeastern Grocers

Southeastern Grocers, LLC, parent company and home of BI-LO, Harveys and
Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is the second-largest supermarket in the
Southeast based on store count. The company employs nearly 60,000
associates who serve customers in approximately 750 grocery stores, 140
liquor stores and 500 in-store pharmacies throughout the seven
southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. BI-LO, Harveys and
Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep
heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back,
talented and loyal associates, and strong commitments to providing the
best possible quality and value to customers. For more information,
visit www.bi-lo.com,
www.harveyssupermarkets.com
and www.winndixie.com.