Two U.S. supermarket chains are readying bankruptcy filings, according to people with knowledge of the matter, a sign of the mounting pressures in the grocery industry. Bi-Lo LLC, the company behind the Winn-Dixie chain, is preparing for a filing as soon as March, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the process isn’t public. The owner of Tops Friendly Markets, meanwhile, could potentially seek court protection from creditors as soon as this month, people familiar with that situation said. With low margins and ample competition, the grocery business has always been challenging. But now the industry is contending with a more aggressive push by big-box retailers and Amazon.com Inc., which acquired Whole Foods last year to give it a larger brick-and-mortar presence. The moves threaten to force older chains to either consolidate or revamp their operations. read more https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ops-owners-are-said-to-prepare-for-bankruptcy
