Getty ImagesNo-frills discounter Aldi is the latest grocer to shake up the industry with big moves.The German retailer announced this week that it plans to acquire about 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations across the Southern U.S. As part of the deal, it would take over operations of the stores, which are in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, and put at least some of them under the Aldi name.The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year.Aldi is already expanding aggressively across the country. It has more than 2,300 stores across 38 states. Separate from the acquisition, it is on track to open 120 new stores by year-end.The proposed deal comes as Kroger’s $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons is pending. Companies including Amazon and Target are also trying to snap up more grocery market share as inflation-weary consumers continue to buy food and essentials but become more frugal when …
