C&S Wholesalers Deepens Southeast Roots with Key Sedano's Supermarket Supply Deal
This analysis is based on a report originally published by Grocery Dive.
In a strategic push to consolidate its influence in one of the nation's fastest-growing regions, wholesale giant C&S Grocers has secured a pivotal partnership with Sedano's Supermarket, a beloved Hispanic grocery chain with 32 stores across Florida. The deal names C&S as the primary supplier for Sedano's entire store network, significantly expanding the wholesaler's footprint and retailer connections in the competitive Southeast market.
"Our growth strategy is firmly anchored in the Southeast, and aligning with a community pillar like Sedano's allows us to strengthen our service ecosystem across the region," said C&S CEO Eric Winn in a statement. The move is seen as a direct play to capture more of the vibrant and expanding Hispanic consumer market in Florida.
This partnership is not an isolated event but part of a calculated expansion blitz by C&S over the past year. The company's aggressive consolidation strategy began in earnest in February 2025, when it joined a consortium to acquire approximately 170 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations, along with their liquor business, from Aldi US. That entity recently rebranded from Southeastern Grocers to The Winn-Dixie Company.
The scale of C&S's ambitions became even clearer in June, with a landmark agreement to acquire fellow wholesaler SpartanNash in a deal valued at $1.77 billion. The combined operation would create a distribution powerhouse with about 60 centers, serving an estimated 10,000 independent retailers and owning over 200 grocery stores.
Beyond domestic growth, C&S is casting a wider net. A recent partnership with Atlantic Grocery Supply aims to extend its wholesale and supply services to retailers throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America, signaling global aspirations.
Industry Voices:
"This is a textbook market consolidation play," notes Michael Torres, a retail analyst at Southeast Market Insights. "C&S is building an integrated supply web that gives it tremendous leverage and efficiency. For regional chains like Sedano's, partnering with a scaled player can mean better pricing and logistics, but it also increases dependency."
Lisa Chen, a former grocery executive and now an independent consultant, offers a more cautious perspective: "The speed of this consolidation is breathtaking. While the economies of scale are clear, I worry about the long-term impact on product diversity, especially for culturally specific items that smaller, niche distributors often champion. The soul of a community grocery store can sometimes get lost in these large-scale supply agreements."
The reaction from David "Ace" Miller, a vocal advocate for independent retailers, was more pointed: "Here we go again. Another giant gets bigger, squeezing out smaller distributors and ultimately limiting choice. They talk about 'service ecosystems' and 'impact'—it's corporate speak for building a monopoly. The Southeast is becoming a company town for C&S, and that's bad news for competition, workers, and consumers who'll face higher prices down the line."