Area grocery shoppers will continue to have the Winn Dixie store on Highway 39 as place to buy fresh meats and veggies, even as the business’ corporate parent announced Thursday plans to close 94 “underperforming” stores in seven states.

While the Meridian store remains open, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers plans to close a Biloxi Winn Dixie.

The Winn-Dixie on Highway 45 North in Meridian, next to Autozone, closed last summer.  

The company announced plans to enter bankruptcy agreement to restructure debt as it continues to operate 582 stores.

“The agreement we announced today is an important step in Southeastern Grocer’s transformation to put our company in the best position to succeed in the extremely competitive retail market in which we do business,” company President and CEO Anthony Hucker said in a news release.

The restructuring will decrease overall company debt levels by more than $500 million.

“Southeastern Grocers is faced with a critical milestone in it’s transformation and we have made choices for our future and long-term potential,” Hucker said. “We conducted a thorough review of our strategic options and determined that this financial restructuring is in the best interests of our associates, customers, supplier partners and the communities in which we serve.”