US grocery retailer Penn Traffic has announced that it is seeking permission from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in White Plains to sell nine Big Bear supermarkets in Ohio by the middle of December.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Penn Traffic is asking the court to approve the sale of a group of five of Penn Traffic’s Big Bear supermarkets to Giant Eagle for approximately $40.3m and a different group of two stores to Giant Eagle for approximately $6.5m. Penn Traffic also intends to sell its Big Bear store in The Plains to Bob Bay and Son Co, and the Chillicothe Big Bear store to Needler Enterprises.


Penn Traffic said that it has rejected a previous bid by rival grocery Kroger to purchase 11 Big Bear stores.


These sales agreements are a result of the auction of the assets of the Big Bear division that Penn Traffic held last week. “There may be further sales of Big Bear assets in the future,” said Steven G. Panagos, Penn Traffic’s interim CEO. 


Penn Traffic filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the end of May this year.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

“We are selling these stores as part of our efforts to emerge from chapter 11 as quickly as possible as a stronger, more competitive company,” said Panagos. 

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact