A Winn-Dixie grocery store in St. Augustine is set to close August 17 as it prepares for conversion into an Aldi, according to a report.
The store, located at 181 Blackford Way in the Shores Village Plaza, will undergo a build-out for the discount grocery chain, the Jacksonville Business Journal reported.
According to a permit application filed with St. Johns County on February 5, the 37,728-square-foot space is larger than typical Aldi locations, suggesting that it may be divided for multiple tenants.
Interplan LLC of Altamonte Springs is listed as the architect.
Employees were notified of the closure on May 19. Just days earlier, on May 14, owner Southeastern Grocers LLC stated the store would continue normal operations, without indicating a timeline for closure.
In a statement, the company said it would work with Aldi to support affected employees, offering them the first opportunity to apply for positions at the new Aldi or transfer to another Winn-Dixie location.
This store is one of several across Northeast Florida being converted following Aldi’s acquisition of Southeastern Grocers Inc.
The deal included roughly 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations across five states. Aldi has already begun conversions, including its first at a former Harveys in Northwest Jacksonville, which reopened March 20.
Other identified conversion sites include stores in Downtown Jacksonville, Neptune Beach and neighborhoods like Brierwood, Fort Caroline and Girvin. Additional locations are being converted in Fernandina Beach, Fleming Island and Grand Cypress Marketplace in St. Johns County.
As of May 14, Aldi operated 14 stores in Northeast Florida, with nine in Jacksonville and five in surrounding counties. The company says the Southeastern Grocers deal is part of a larger plan to expand its U.S. footprint by 800 stores by 2028.
5 Responses
I think that sucks. This is the nicest Winn Dixie in St Aug and it sucks that’s it’s turning into a crappy Aldi.
What a shame. I like Aldi but this Winn-Dixie was nice and hasn’t even been there that long. I used to drive well out of my way to go to this one because it was nicer (and has really good sushi.) The staff are so nice too. Bummer.
I like Aldi but it’s no Winn-Dixie. This will be a big loss for the Shores area. Great people work there I hope they all do well.
This was the nicest Winn-Dixie and the staff were really great. I like Aldi, but we already have one in St Augustine. It’s a shame this one was the one they chose.
Well, kind of sad but I guess business is business. The crew that mans our store made shopping easy and the location was very convenient to the Shores neighborhood.
I’ll really miss the guys at the meat counter.