Posted on 07/28/2010 10:49:51 AM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. on Tuesday announced it will close 30 of its 514 stores, and cut 120 jobs in its corporate and field support staffs as it deals with a continued weak economy.
The Jacksonville-based supermarket chain wouldn't say which stores are closing until company officials can inform the employees involved, which should happen by the end of Wednesday.
The stores being closed "can't operate efficiently or profitably" in this economy, CEO Peter Lynch said.
"We just don't see a lot of good things down the road," he said. "These steps are being taken to position the company for another challenging year."
Lynch said the cutbacks have nothing to do with the company's strategy, which has included remodeling nearly half of its stores. The 30 stores being closed were not remodeled.
"I'm very confident in our strategy," he said. "All that continues to move in the right direction. We just have this little bump in the road called the economy right now."
Winn-Dixie operates in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Lynch said the economy in the Southeast seems to be particularly tough.
The restructuring will also include a consolidation of Winn-Dixie's operating regions from four into three. The south region will consist of Florida from about the Tampa area south, the central region will include North Florida and its South Georgia stores, and the west region will include the rest of its markets.
Lynch said Winn-Dixie is creating some new positions and the 120 corporate and field employees will have the opportunity to apply for those jobs. Workers at the stores being closed will be able to transfer to other stores.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
Y’all have obviously never visited my local Piggly-Wiggly!
I actually did see a Publix store close not long ago, and I was shocked. However, it was in the same area where an Outback closed at around the same time — a very depressed place on the west coast of Florida.
Winn Dixie has always been second rate at best ,, they never improve and their private label brands (which make huge profits for other grocers) never sell well because they are inconsistant in quality. In my area they sold several money losing stores to Publix about 10 years ago..
they’re working their way up there...
To my delight, Publix is opening three new stores in Dothan, Alabama. The Winn Dixie closest to me recently renovated and looks like they are trying to out Publix, Publix. When these new stores open it will be interesting to see what the WD folks do - if they are not already closed by this action today.
People are still buying groceries, just not a Winn Dixie.
Don't y'all have Harris Teeter? I dang near cried when the Teeter in Buckhead (Atlanta) closed. Besides being the best darn grocer in the business (I grew up in grocery and C-stores so I know a thing or two about the biz), their deli made the best hot sammiches in Atlanta.
Good. They suck. I went in one once and that was enough for me.
You could open a brand new winn-dixie and it would smell like it was dirty as hell the first hour that it was open. Their cleaning chemicals have ALWAYS been the worst not to mention the bugs in their cereal boxes.
They even had to strip their title of the Beef People years ago because their beef was below USDA standards.
Publix is and always will be the place where shopping is a pleasure.
Never been to Teeter’s, but Trader Joe’s is my favorite little grocery store. Ok, so it’s not on a par with the big boys, but I do love that store.
Yep, we have Harris Teeter. My wife was in one today.
They are very nice though a little more expensive.
Their produce is not quite as varied as Fresh Mkt. but good.
And frankly I can get better meat ( read ribeyes) at Costco at almost half the price.
Their deli and food bars are terrific. If I was single I’d stop by there and pick up dinner most every night.
I love my local Piggly Wiggly and Publix too.
You wouldn’t love mine-I doubt it’s been upgraded hardly at all since 1973 when it was built! Bad enough the freezers are all dilapidated and falling apart and the floors are beyond pathetic but the place is just downright nasty...and just as expensive as Publix(which is only 29 miles further away...)
See, I have the joys of living in a county of 12,000 people-of which at least half are on public assistance(why should the Pig bother with upgrading? For that clientele?)
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/orange_news/072910-winn-dixie-closings
And as I recall, they took a big hit-dunno if bankruptcy or just what, but I remember they closed a new store just around the corner from where I lived in Dallas GA along with a bunch of others back in 2002 or so...
They’re nice stores.
Never tried their deli but their Manager’s Specials are great. They’re always running Buy 1/Get 1 and Buy 2/Get 3 Free deals which we love.
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