Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

[klkla]

Here are some photos from store that include the slightly-changed logo:
http://jacksonville.com/business/2016-0 ... w-approach

[veteran+]

I agree with just about every post here and I would add, Winn Dixie has had many opportunities to "do it right" but instead chose to continually reinvent it self ($$$$$$$$$).

Winn Dixie might have learned many lessons by studying Stater Brothers on the west coast. Stater Brothers dedication to their clearly identified customer base has been a winning formula for them in a very competitive market (surely more competitive than W/D's). Stater's locates their stores very carefully and they do not pretend to be Trader Joes, Ralphs Fresh Fare, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.

They are usually the low price leader, their stores are clean (commensurate to the standards of their customers), their customer service is above the expectations of their customers and the variety and quality is tweaked to what their customers want. This company consistently rates the highest in customer satisfaction over any main stream supermarket in its operating markets.

That being said, it is not my style of store to shop in, but I know their operation very well and they are pros at taking care of their type of customers!!!

Winn Dixie's real customer profile is almost exactly the same except that Winn Dixie either forgot this or foolishly decided to be someone else. Their historically loyal customer wants their "The Beef People" store back.

Did I get that jingo right?

[pseudo3d]

In so many ways, Winn-Dixie is like A&P...a no-frills grocery chain that achieved success by spreading through underserved areas, ran into trouble when newer, hipper competitors started to erode its store base, wound up with a huge number of outmoded stores it had to get rid of, attempted a turnaround, and eventually deteriorated as new store ideas did nothing meaningful but dilute the chain and lose loyal customers.

[storewanderer]

They can make pretty stores with good sounding departments but what I see is this chain is so broken as far as the attitude of the employees goes that the execution is lousy. Their pricing is not good. I am not even sure I'd trust their prepared foods based on some of the locations I've been to and the lousy quality on the few items I have tried.

Maybe the standard is different at the Bi-Los but Winn Dixie (and Harvey's) have NO redeeming positive qualities whatsoever. It is like Save Mart (terrible on store atmosphere, merchandising, price, and perimeter presentation) but without friendly, efficient employees. Terrible merchandising, terrible service, slow checkout, surly employees, and crummy quality when you get the stuff back to the hotel and consume it. At least with Save Mart the employees are friendly and efficient and the quality on some of their perimeter stuff is okay...

A&P had some much nicer stores than Winn Dixie from what I could tell. I think A&P made a lot of bad decisions but another issue they had was the labor situations they dealt with. Price was always a big problem. At the store level based on my limited experiences I think A&P executed better than Winn Dixie. It is also my impression that the customer in the northeast where A&P breathed its last gasp is a lot more difficult to please than a customer in the deep south where Winn Dixie somehow survives.

[BillyGr]

A&P had some much nicer stores than Winn Dixie from what I could tell. I think A&P made a lot of bad decisions but another issue they had was the labor situations they dealt with. Price was always a big problem.

That was probably a good amount of it - in that as they had closed batches of stores over the past few years the contracts would allow people with more seniority to move to stores still open, bumping out newer (and probably cheaper) employees. So eventually you wind up with a store full of high paid employees which either requires higher prices to pay or eliminating some leaving the store low on staff.

Sounds a lot like what Kroger has been doing with their newer / recently remodeled stores. The lettering even bares a similar resemblance to Kroger's "Marketplace" decor.

Perhaps they should put some clothes on those letters?

[storewanderer]

I visited this store and I will have to eat my words. This newly reopened Winn Dixie in Jacksonville is a really nice store. The store probably had 20 or so customers this afternoon vs. 100+ at the Publix across the street, though.

The store had a nice, extensive hot foods department with good looking items and good prices. Roasted meats, some vegetable sides, and the usual fried items. On the side wall next to that was a generic coffee bar (unstaffed and no traffic) then the rest of the side wall was occupied by bakery (this also looked good, many items, some reasonable prices). Cold Service Deli was oddly placed far away from this area, in the middle of the back wall and had a large selection and was fairly busy.

Produce is interesting. It looks great. Well rotated. Cold vegetables (lettuce, green onions, etc.) are all on coffin like island style cases placed atop ice. This strikes me as a silly labor intensive display method that is all for show and not very practical. It looked nice enough.

The store also had a nutrition department that was fairly comprehensive. Center store was typical Winn Dixie. Their pricing seems to be mostly above Publix but they have some new low price items that are priced pretty well (not expecting that to last long).

I really liked the feel of the store. It felt open, bright, airy, and generally pleasant. But, so does Publix.

I also do not have confidence they are getting the traffic they need to support this concept or get an acceptable ROI. This is an example where the chain's reputation is haunting them despite some really nice efforts.

And Publix is a tough competitor...

[veteran+]

They will not get the ROI needed to succeed and move forward, as nice as the store may be.

There is not a sku in that store or any W/D that should be even one penny above Publix. That just shows you they still do not remember who they are and who they are supposed to serve.

Publix has been allowed to fine tune itself to huge success for a very long time. As a result the price of food is generally higher in Florida than other "red states" with similar income demographics. I have lived in Florida for several stretches in time and can tell you that grocery prices are higher than the prices I was accustomed to in different areas of Los Angeles. I was shocked.

Also Publix is very smart on how they compete in all areas of operations including pricing, etc.

If you compare store standards for an average Publix in Miami (let's say the store on Bird Rd. (SW 40 St.) and compare it to a store in N. Carolina. This comparison is not about new store against old store, it's about standards.

You will notice that the conditions of that store in Miami area atrocious comparing to the famous Publix image. That is because they do not have to compete with anyone in that Miami market, so they do not.

[Knight]

Winn-Dixie stores 7 (Point Meadows, 10915 Baymeadows Road, Unit 12, Jacksonville, FL 32256-4600) and 9 (liquor store; Point Meadows, 10915 Baymeadows Road, Unit 13, Jacksonville, Florida 32256-4600), from what I have seen, are very nice. Winn-Dixie should have moved in this direction many years ago.

[pseudo3d]

Winn-Dixie stores 7 (Point Meadows, 10915 Baymeadows Road, Unit 12, Jacksonville, FL 32256-4600) and 9 (liquor store; Point Meadows, 10915 Baymeadows Road, Unit 13, Jacksonville, Florida 32256-4600), from what I have seen, are very nice. Winn-Dixie should have moved in this direction many years ago.

Winn-Dixie once had over 1,000 stores stretching from Texas to Virginia, though at that point, I think it would've been just as difficult as today in some ways.

[Knight]

Winn-Dixie once had over 1,000 stores stretching from Texas to Virginia, though at that point, I think it would've been just as difficult as today in some ways.

I thin Winn-Dixe hovered below 1,200 stores, but its footprint was more expansive and sparser in store count in Indiana (Thriftway), Kentucky (Winn-Dixie, Thriftway), Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio (Thriftway), Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia

Publix has 1,112 stores in Alabama (61 stores), Florida (765 stores), Georgia (182 stores), North Carolina (11 stores), South Carolina (55 stores), and Tennessee (38 stores).