Shaw's stores sold aid Supervalu deal

NEW YORK Supervalu Inc., the parent company of Shaws Supermarkets, is selling off five of its grocery chains, including Shaws and Albertsons, after years of being squeezed by intensifying competition.

The nations No. 3 traditional supermarket operator announced Thursday that the sale of 877 stores to an investor group led by Cerberus Capital Management will also include Albertsons, Acme, the Jewell-Osco pharmacy chain, and Star Market. Cerberus already owns about 200 Albertsons in the South and Southwest.

Following the sale, Supervalu will focus on its Save-A-Lot discount stores, as well as its smaller regional chains Cub, Farm Fresh, Shoppers, Shop n Save and Hornbachers. It will also keep its wholesale business that distributes groceries to stores.

The investor group will pay $100 million in cash for the stores, and the new company will assume $3.2 billion in existing debt. Cerberus will also offer to buy up to 30 percent of the remaining Supervalu for $4 per share after the deal closes.

There was no word Thursday on what the pending deal will mean for any of the chains, including the Shaws string of superarkets that include two stores in Gloucester one on Railroad Avenue and the other off Eastern Avenue. Both Gloucester stores have continued to operate despite the intensified competition brought on by the 2009 opening of the Market Basket as an anchor to Gloucester Crossing, nestled just a mile from the Eastern Avenue Shaws.

A representative for the buyers noted that the transaction is still subject to approvals and declined to say whether any job cuts were planned for the newly acquired Albertsons, or whether the other chains would retain their current names.

Supervalu has struggled for years to turn around its business. The broader supermarket industry has been facing growing competition from big-box retailers such as Target, drugstore chains and dollar stores. While bigger chains such as Kroger Co. have adapted by tweaking store formats and improving discount programs and product offerings, Supervalu has scrambled to keep pace.

This past summer, Supervalu fired its CEO and tapped Chairman Wayne Sales to lead a turnaround. The company said at the time that it was reviewing its options, such as putting itself up for sale. In the meantime, it has closed stores and cut jobs as part of an effort to reduce costs. Those efforts to fix its business will continue after the sale of its grocery chains is complete, the company said. Sam Duncan, who most recently was CEO of OfficeMax, will replace Sales as head of Supervalu after the deal closes.

On Thursday, Supervalu also reported a profit of $16 million, or 8 cents per share, for the third quarter. The results were boosted by a gain related to a settlement with credit card companies. A year ago, the company lost $750 million, or $3.54 per share.

However, total revenue for the period declined 5 percent to $7.9 billion. Sales at locations open at least a year fell 4.5 percent, and 4.1 percent at Save-A-Lot. Its profit margins also fell, in part because the company said it boosted promotions and cut prices for shoppers.

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Shaw's stores sold aid Supervalu deal