Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by wnetmacman »

Knight wrote: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).
The sparse areas for W-D were more northerly. It was really strange geographically. There were stores in Texas which only really covered Dallas/Fort Worth, and a very sparse outlying count, none more than 140 miles out (the Dallas division stopped at Marshall, TX). Louisiana covered as far north as Natchitoches, but not the I-20 corridor in the northern part of the state.

W-D was structured around divisions. At one time there were Charlotte, Raleigh, Montgomery, Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, New Orleans (which covered much of Mississippi), Midwest (Thriftway) and Texas. Only part of that survives today.
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by storewanderer »

I have to agree. Winn Dixie and its other names are not in good shape at all.

I was in a Harveys in some small town off of some interstate in SC or GA. The store had very high pricing (higher than Winn Dixies in Orlando and Jacksonville) and was not on the current new low price program, either. Selection was limited. One checkstand open with 7 people in line, second clerk was helping someone with something at customer service. Restroom was filthy. Bakery/deli had little product out. The store in general had a poor mix and high prices. While in the store I overheard two customers complaining to each other about prices and produce quality, and one telling the other how she usually drives to Kroger or Publix to shop and named what she liked about each of those two, and the other said she usually drove to a Wal Mart to shop.

Later I got to visit a Bi Lo in Charleston which looked like a very nice store from the outside (store is on Meeting Street) on the edge of downtown in a rather up and coming area, walking distance to a few hotels. The store was clean enough and large. It was fairly well stocked and seemed staffed okay. Deli had Boar's Head but not much else of interest. Bakery was lightly stocked as is the norm for this chain and the self service case with cake slices, etc. seemed to be not working properly as the packages all felt almost room temperature. Produce prices are sky high, hardly any product out, and no good deals (their big deal was strawberries 2.50 per pint; Harris Teeter has the same ones at 1.25 per pint; their kiwis are 85cents each, Harris Teeter kiwis 25 cents each and bigger, etc.). Was going to pick up a few packages of a southern brand of corn meal that is not sold out west but they were expired in February, both rows. Left without a purchase.

I was also in a Food Lion in some small town (the store was a carbon copy of the Harveys I visited, which makes me think the Harveys was a previous Food Lion) and the Food Lion is noticeably similar to Harveys/Bi Lo/Winn Dixie as far as having hardly any product out in meat, deli, bakery, and produce. The difference with Food Lion is the few items they do have out look fresh. The other difference with Food Lion is while their prices in center store are by no means the lowest around, they do appear to be pretty competitive; within 5-15% of a Kroger or Wal Mart and I did notice some fairly good specials.

This chain is in dire shape, very much like Save Mart/Lucky in California. Maybe they have a few good stores but those seem to be few and far between.
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by pseudo3d »

wnetmacman wrote:
Knight wrote: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).
The sparse areas for W-D were more northerly. It was really strange geographically. There were stores in Texas which only really covered Dallas/Fort Worth, and a very sparse outlying count, none more than 140 miles out (the Dallas division stopped at Marshall, TX). Louisiana covered as far north as Natchitoches, but not the I-20 corridor in the northern part of the state.

W-D was structured around divisions. At one time there were Charlotte, Raleigh, Montgomery, Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, New Orleans (which covered much of Mississippi), Midwest (Thriftway) and Texas. Only part of that survives today.
The Texas division was closed in 2002, and covered Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco (most of the stores there being acquired in the early 1990s from AppleTree/Safeway), and Bryan-College Station (two stores at peak from the mid-1980s to late 1990s). Not sure about Beaumont or Baytown, but Winn-Dixie stayed out of Houston, probably because it was too competitive (a smart move, all things considered--Winn-Dixie pulled out of Texas as Albertsons suffered a humiliating defeat in Houston months before).
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by wnetmacman »

storewanderer wrote:I have to agree. Winn Dixie and its other names are not in good shape at all.

I was in a Harveys in some small town off of some interstate in SC or GA. The store had very high pricing (higher than Winn Dixies in Orlando and Jacksonville) and was not on the current new low price program, either. Selection was limited. One checkstand open with 7 people in line, second clerk was helping someone with something at customer service. Restroom was filthy. Bakery/deli had little product out. The store in general had a poor mix and high prices.
I wholeheartedly agree. In Louisiana, they seem to cherry-pick which stores are well stocked and which are not. Lafayette only has one store left; it's close to where I work. The Deli is so understocked it's hard to tell what they actually have. Hot foods are out of bags, not made in store. The Bakery is 50% cookies, 40% small cakes, and 10% bread and donuts. No full shelves on any of it.
storewanderer wrote:This chain is in dire shape, very much like Save Mart/Lucky in California. Maybe they have a few good stores but those seem to be few and far between.
I believe they're biding their time to an acquisition, possibly by Albertsons. I hope it comes sooner than later; they can't afford much more.
pseudo3d wrote:The Texas division was closed in 2002, and covered Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco (most of the stores there being acquired in the early 1990s from AppleTree/Safeway), and Bryan-College Station (two stores at peak from the mid-1980s to late 1990s). Not sure about Beaumont or Baytown, but Winn-Dixie stayed out of Houston, probably because it was too competitive (a smart move, all things considered--Winn-Dixie pulled out of Texas as Albertsons suffered a humiliating defeat in Houston months before).
Bryan/College Station was about as far south as they went in that part of the state; the store farthest south east of I-45 was Nacogdoches, and that closed in roughly 1984; Henderson and Carthage were closest after, and Carthage closed in 1991. WD was a Northern Texas store, but they also had a few Oklahoma stores as far north as Oklahoma City. Those were mostly gone by the time the division closed in 2002.
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by storewanderer »

I don't see Albertsons touching this but it is low hanging fruit. Some hot ads would go a long ways in driving customer traffic and it would get Albertsons some good same store sales gains to make their strategies look effective. The "Signature" private label would be an improvement over the Southern Home and assorted TopCo labels they have. All of the Albertsons or Safeway perimeter programs would be a massive improvement over what is currently offered. On the other hand the stores seem like they need some capital and in general I don't think customers are too impressed by these stores. Prices look to be a problem and pricing is also a very major problem for Safeway/Albertsons.

I also somewhat question what role Food Lion will play in the combined Delhaize/Ahold. I remember before Food Lion had the same private label as Hannaford (My Essentials?) but today I noticed the private label there was mostly Food Lion brand with some generic Delhaize labels still in non food categories like Home 360 and something else in drug and some other value brand. It appears Food Lion may be easy to "split off."
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by pseudo3d »

storewanderer wrote:I don't see Albertsons touching this but it is low hanging fruit. Some hot ads would go a long ways in driving customer traffic and it would get Albertsons some good same store sales gains to make their strategies look effective. The "Signature" private label would be an improvement over the Southern Home and assorted TopCo labels they have. All of the Albertsons or Safeway perimeter programs would be a massive improvement over what is currently offered. On the other hand the stores seem like they need some capital and in general I don't think customers are too impressed by these stores. Prices look to be a problem and pricing is also a very major problem for Safeway/Albertsons.

I also somewhat question what role Food Lion will play in the combined Delhaize/Ahold. I remember before Food Lion had the same private label as Hannaford (My Essentials?) but today I noticed the private label there was mostly Food Lion brand with some generic Delhaize labels still in non food categories like Home 360 and something else in drug and some other value brand. It appears Food Lion may be easy to "split off."
I think it's very unlikely that anyone would want to acquire the company wholesale. Kroger is pretty unlikely, as they're with Harris Teeter (and even if they aren't happy with it, they wouldn't dare drop it in favor of Winn-Dixie/BI-LO). Albertsons is also unlikely, as they're still digesting Safeway (and again, the same reasons why Kroger won't want it). Delhaize/Ahold might like it as it's a better fit for them than Food Lion but in many ways are just as bad.

The most likely scenario would be stores being slowly sold off as Winn-Dixie/BI-LO attempts to reinvents itself. It will be a slow, bitter process that would likely mean the sunsetting of the stores, but I can't see a way out for this one.
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by Knight »

wnetmacman wrote:
Knight wrote: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).
The sparse areas for W-D were more northerly. It was really strange geographically. There were stores in Texas which only really covered Dallas/Fort Worth, and a very sparse outlying count, none more than 140 miles out (the Dallas division stopped at Marshall, TX). Louisiana covered as far north as Natchitoches, but not the I-20 corridor in the northern part of the state.

W-D was structured around divisions. At one time there were Charlotte, Raleigh, Montgomery, Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, New Orleans (which covered much of Mississippi), Midwest (Thriftway) and Texas. Only part of that survives today.
Winn-Dixie's divisions involved having divisional offices and distribution centers located together. As store count decreased, divisions became smaller and distribution centers had fewer stores to support. This resulted in several divisions merging into others and distribution centers and manufacturing plants closing.

Jacksonville Division
Markets: Florida, Georgia
Store Range: 1 - 199
Present: North Florida Region

Miami Division
Market: Florida
Store Range: 200 - 399
Present: South Florida/Harvey's Region

Montgomery Division
Markets: Alabama, Mississippi
Store Range: 400 -599
Present: Alabama/Mississippi Region

Tampa Division
Markets: Florida
Store Range: 600 - 799
Fate: merged into Orlando Division in 2000
Present: West Florida Region

Raleigh Division
Markets: North Carolina, Virginia
Store Range: 800 - 999
Fate: merged into Charlotte Division in 2004, stores closed in 2005

Greenville Division
Markets: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Store Range: 1000 - 1099, 1200 - 1299
Fate: merged into Charlotte Division in 1995, distribution center and stores closed in 2005

Dallas Division
Markets: Oklahoma, Texas
Store Range: 1100 - 1199, 1300 - 1399
Fate: division and stores closed in 2002

New Orleans Division
Markets: Louisiana, Mississippi
Store Range: 1400 - 1599
Present: Louisiana Region

Louisville Division
Markets: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio
Store Range: 1600 - 1799
Fate: division, stores, and distribution center closed in 2004

Atlanta Division
Markets: Georgia, Tennessee
Store Range: 1800 - 1999
Fate: merged into Montgomery Division in 2000

Charlotte Division
Markets: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Store Range: 2000 - 2199
Fate: division and stores closed in 2005

Orlando Division
Market: Florida
Store Range: 2200 - 2399
Present: Central Florida Region

Save Rite, unsure of it being a division, had a store number range of 2600 - 2799.
Harvey's, after being acquired from Delhaize, was included in the South Florida region. Its store number range is 1600 - 1799.
Sweetbay, after being acquired from Delhaize, initiated the West Florida region. Its store number range, as Winn-Dixie stores, is 2400 - 2599.
Bi-Lo, after acquiring Winn-Dixie, renumbered its stores into the 5,000's, and reorganized from three regions (Foothills, Central, and Eastern) to two regions (Bi-Lo West, Bi-Lo East).
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by wnetmacman »

Knight wrote:Dallas Division
Markets: Oklahoma, Texas
Store Range: 1100 - 1199, 1300 - 1399
Fate: division and stores closed in 2002
Not entirely accurate. Some of these stores were in the 2400 range. Carthage, TX was 2444. The last Longview, TX store was 2445.
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by Knight »

wnetmacman wrote:
Knight wrote:Dallas Division
Markets: Oklahoma, Texas
Store Range: 1100 - 1199, 1300 - 1399
Fate: division and stores closed in 2002
Not entirely accurate. Some of these stores were in the 2400 range. Carthage, TX was 2444. The last Longview, TX store was 2445.
Was the 2400 to 2599 range allocated to the Dallas Division instead of 1100 to 1199 and 1300 and 1399?

Were the 1100 to 1199 and 1300 to 1399 ranges ever used?
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Re: Winn-Dixie Reveals Next generation Store

Post by pseudo3d »

It is now mid-2016, and how many "upscale" stores has Winn-Dixie actually done?

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/new ... favor.html

Most of the news out of Winn-Dixie seem to be on expansion of the Harveys concept. To me, this screams volumes about the incompetence and lack of direction of current leadership.
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