Lucky’s Market is officially being sold to Southeastern Grocers, according to a press release from Lucky’s Market.
Southeastern Grocers will also be taking over the Naples, Fort Myers, Lake Mary and Melbourne stores, while other locations in Florida are going to Seabra Foods and Hitchcock’s Markets.
WCJB reported that “court records seemed to indicate Aldi was interested in the Gainesville location,” but the store is officially confirmed to be sold to Southeastern Grocers under an asset purchase agreement.
The agreements previously signed five leased store properties and another owned property to Aldi. The agreements also signed five leased store properties to Publix Super Markets, Inc. Now, it includes the Melbourne location, which has now been signed into the Southeastern Grocers agreement, according to the press release.
Lucky’s will be officially closed on Feb. 12. Bill Muccio, the store director for Lucky’s Market in Gainesville, said he was unsure of what was really going on because he had heard multiple rumors without any word from the company itself.
The Alligator reached out to Southeastern Grocers twice via phone but didn’t receive a response by publication Thursday evening. The Alligator also emailed Lucky’s Market to confirm the information and received no response.
When current Lucky’s employees were called to comment, The Alligator was told that Lucky’s will not pay severance to the employees who speak to the media and that they are legally not allowed to give more information.
The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require employers to pay severance, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The Employee Benefits Security Administration may help an employee who did not get severance benefits under their employee-sponsored plan.
One of the store’s former employees, Hayden Page, 19, said the company is helping employees find new jobs by calling recruiters from places like Sam’s Club.
About 80 employees will lose their jobs at Lucky’s Market, and they will gradually be released as the official close date approaches, said Eric Cheek, the store’s front-end supervisor.
Anna Wilder contributed to this report.
Contact Stephany Matat at smatat@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @StephanyMatat.
A Lucky’s Market customer shops as the store’s closing approaches. The store is officially closing on Feb. 12.
Anna Wilder is a second-year journalism major and the criminal justice reporter. She's from Melbourne, Florida, and she enjoys being outdoors or playing the viola when she's not writing.
