Harps Food Stores has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire 18 stores from Joey and Jeanie Hays, owners of independent grocery operator Dyer Foods, with 17 of the locations in western Tennessee and one in Kentucky.
Both parties anticipate completing the transaction by this summer, with store banners, employment and operations continuing with minimal disruption in the interim.
The acquisition is the largest in a string of independent grocery deals Harps has completed over the past year, pushing the employee-owned retailer’s store count to 178 across eight states.
The new locations are in Fulton, Kentucky, and the Tennessee communities of Alamo, Bells, Brownsville, Covington, Dyersburg, Halls, Henderson, Humboldt, Jackson, Millington, Newbern, Somerville, Tiptonville and Trenton.
Joey Hays said the decision to sell to Harps came down to the company’s reputation for how it treats associates and communities after an acquisition.
“When Jeanie and I decided it was time to make this transition, Harps was our first choice,” he said. “Their commitment to the associates and communities they serve is what we were looking for in a company, and to continue to grow the brand.”
Kim Eskew, chairman and CEO of Harps Food Stores, said the deal fits a deliberate strategy centered on small-town independent grocery.
“We love small stores in small towns and these stores fit our strategy perfectly,” Eskew said.
“We have the greatest respect for what the Hays family and their staff have been able to accomplish and look forward to having this great group of people join our company.”
Pattern of independent acquisitions
The Dyer Foods deal is the latest in an acquisition run for Harps.
In April 2025, the company acquired Craven Foods in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas, a single-store independent whose owners, Jimmy and Teresa Craven, had built a loyal following.
Eskew said at the time that the deal reflected Harps’ mission to carry forward community-rooted stores.
In July 2025, Harps agreed to acquire James Super Save Foods in Mena, Arkansas, from owner James Womble.
It also announced a deal in May 2025 to acquire Doc’s Food Stores in Oklahoma, further extending the company’s reach beyond its Arkansas home base.
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