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.
