tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post3129682274072694766..comments2024-03-21T01:17:34.038-05:00Comments on Pleasant Family Shopping: The Lifestyles of Winn-DixieDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-25156848778383122142014-02-14T15:45:25.375-06:002014-02-14T15:45:25.375-06:00As a former store manager in the Atlanta area, I h...As a former store manager in the Atlanta area, I have to say that W/D's managment style was often brutal and autocratic from the top. I worked for 20 years 1970-1990. <br />We had no say as to our sales per man hour or how to merchandise our stores. The upper managment's grip on reality was often questionable. The turnover in store managers in Atlanta approached 100%. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-89937105543837505852010-06-22T16:38:55.880-05:002010-06-22T16:38:55.880-05:00Awesome post, yet again! This brings back so many ...Awesome post, yet again! This brings back so many memories of shopping at Winn Dixie Marketplace in Watauga, Texas in the mid 1980's. I especially remember the chrome signs in the produce department and the dark wood of the cheese/gourmet food section. I remember it was the first place I ever saw caviar for sale! <br />As a postscript to Michael's comments, as a Dallasite also, I remember several Food Lion locations that became abandoned after that chain's abrupt departure from the Dallas marketplace were bought up by Winn-Dixie and opened as the newer 1993 Marketplace formats. And of course, today, many are abandoned yet again-the retail merry-go round, I suppose!Gisellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-7608342910834723042009-12-15T20:49:59.508-06:002009-12-15T20:49:59.508-06:00that picture in the middle with the red striped st...that picture in the middle with the red striped store is on Dixie Hwy in West Palm Beach, FL. Looks JUST like that still except it is now painted yellow...that is also Palm Beach County's oldest shopping center.Grahamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-604720907726736352009-09-09T10:14:19.662-05:002009-09-09T10:14:19.662-05:00wow, this brings back some memories! i was lookin...wow, this brings back some memories! i was looking up some info on the "older" winn-dixie stores and found your blog! I worked there when i was in high school from 82-86 when they were in Texas and wore that light blue polyester uniform!! aaackk! thanks for sharing...Susan (susiestampalot)https://www.blogger.com/profile/06040256740633329620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-34821124467397949412009-08-19T21:57:36.900-05:002009-08-19T21:57:36.900-05:00Michael - Thanks, I'm very glad you like the s...Michael - Thanks, I'm very glad you like the site! I hadn't really thought about the difficulty retail chains experience in the Metroplex, but now that I think about it, you're right. <br /><br />Interesting about Food Lion's attempt to enter the market, something I'd only vaguely heard before. Dallas/Fort Worth should have been a winner for Albertsons, but they've been through a lot of turmoil chainwide. My understanding is that H.E.B. is slowing inching their way to Dallas - they are a true class act. Thanks again!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-64638084714944416442009-08-18T21:27:28.550-05:002009-08-18T21:27:28.550-05:00I am most impressed with this outstanding site of ...I am most impressed with this outstanding site of my favorite information! I love retail and since I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex where retail has the hardest time making it. I remember Winn-Dixie and Food Lion who attempted to take a stab here and both failed. Winn Dixie bought a local food chain called Buddies Super Markets that was owned by Kimball Foods and Food Lion came in with tiny stores, expensive pricing and took a nose dive within a couple of years. <br /><br />The once king in the metroplex has been Albertsons which has had many names in the past 25 years. Probably my least favorite grocery store is Wally-Mart. There is one chain who I wish could come into the metroplex HEB. Albertson's left San Antonio Lock stock and barrel because of this food giant. Granted we do have their Central markets, but unless you like to spend a fortune on special items, the mainstay HEB is what we need. I wouldn't mind on seeing the Texas Albertson's division sell out to HEB.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02161887865257957973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-73960104948527869442009-08-16T16:30:16.803-05:002009-08-16T16:30:16.803-05:00Jonah - Those Marketplace units were nice stores. ...Jonah - Those Marketplace units were nice stores. I don't know if WD was just too late in introducing them, or they needed to run with a price strategy instead. Either way, they didn't help in the long run. Maybe they'll pick up a decent tenant for that builidng in the near future.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-65436794197929334352009-08-11T15:17:34.754-05:002009-08-11T15:17:34.754-05:00When I was on a road trip and in Mississippi (or A...When I was on a road trip and in Mississippi (or Alabama) I passed by a strip mall that had a Winn-Dixie Marketplace, only to find it was long vacant and was now a brown brick building. Bummer.Pseudo3Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-7153439295517312042009-06-13T16:57:50.011-05:002009-06-13T16:57:50.011-05:00Jonah - Hopefully soon. I've been without the ...Jonah - Hopefully soon. I've been without the use of a scanner the last two months. (And now I have to order a Vista-compatible one to go with my new laptop. Arg!)I generally have huge backlogs of material scanned and almost never have to do any scanning for a current series of posts I'm working on, but that wasn't the case with the Wards stuff. <br /><br />Also, after 10 posts or so on one company I figured people wouldn't mind a change of subject too badly. Will jump back into it soon. Thanks!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-51228785844722022552009-06-12T17:05:47.427-05:002009-06-12T17:05:47.427-05:00Wow, Winn-Dixie finishes! I think the last local o...Wow, Winn-Dixie finishes! I think the last local one was closed in the 1998-2003 era.<br /><br />Now onto Wards? I want to see where that goes, except I know the ending isn't pretty.Pseudo3Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848368606946150471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-64714171484549384212009-06-12T08:45:31.473-05:002009-06-12T08:45:31.473-05:00LOL, Dave. Dave's a small Cleveland area chain...LOL, Dave. Dave's a small Cleveland area chain. My parents did the bulk of their Cleveland grocery shopping there with the occasional trip to Finast/Pick-N-Pay, Fazio's or Stop and Shop. <br /><br />Dave's must do a pretty decent job with keeping their stores look fresh and updated. Last time I was in the area about two years ago, they left an 70s maybe 80s-ish Euclid location and moved to a brand new one across the street that was pretty swanky and up to date. No neon though. Rats. <br /><br />Check out their website:<br />http://www.davesmarkets.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-61483581309859207782009-06-11T20:33:08.946-05:002009-06-11T20:33:08.946-05:00Kim - I know, and same here! (Over thirty years no...Kim - I know, and same here! (Over thirty years now for me! Yikes.)The cool thing about the 80's music is we experienced it as it happened.<br /><br />Didi - I've never heard of my namesake chain, Dave's. Sounds like they had the look, though.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-23392345639713478232009-06-11T17:35:25.500-05:002009-06-11T17:35:25.500-05:00Love New Wave! Not really much of a Beatles fan th...Love New Wave! Not really much of a Beatles fan though.<br /><br />I must say those interior shots remind me of a Dave's store that was built brand new sometime in the 80s in some Cleveland suburb. I don't recall where exactly but I know it was the mid to late 80s. Neon gallore! Mettalic tile. I actually thought that looked good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-48595360880769452252009-06-11T00:24:53.834-05:002009-06-11T00:24:53.834-05:00I like Howard Jones, too, and it's great to he...I like Howard Jones, too, and it's great to hear he is still touring! But you know how much of a Beatle fan I am... :)Kimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-44106069890088624232009-06-10T22:05:42.893-05:002009-06-10T22:05:42.893-05:00Melon Bars were part of the produce department in ...Melon Bars were part of the produce department in WD Marketplace stores from the mid90's onward, primarily a merchandising gimmick that may have been a little early as cut fruit is one of growth segments in produce today. Salad Bars were more de rigueur in upscale supermarkets at the time, so Winn-Dixie was actually an innovator for a change.<br /><br />The current store count in Florida, 357 units in nothing to balk at, thus the chain still carries a cache in its markets, as Albertson's is down to 37 Florida locations and Sweetbay is still struggling to find a niche with a little more than 100 stores on the Florida West Coast.<br /><br />By attrition they have survived the collapse of Bruno's in its home state of Alabama and still have a strong presence in Louisiana. The current Winn-Dixie is profitable with virtually no debt, a renewed store base and low stock price. Don't be surprised to see them become a target for acquisition or re-entering the takeover arena themselves once the economy improves.Kennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-51804702865708576682009-06-10T17:01:16.763-05:002009-06-10T17:01:16.763-05:00Kim - Thanks, great to hear from you! That's h...Kim - Thanks, great to hear from you! That's how I'm familiar with Winn-Dixie (the family vacation part - I've never lived in Florida). I'd go with the Beatles song as well. (They're probably not licensing for supermarket ads!)But Howard was one of the best during an exciting period in music, and he's still touring.<br /><br />Michael - Thanks very much! I'm into it too. The store pictured would have been a great one to see when it was new. I don't remember a lot of neon in the Chicago area, but that's around the time I moved away. <br /><br />Anonymous - "Melon bars"? Talk about market segmentation! You have to give them points for still being around, though.<br /><br />Dawn - Glad it brought back some memories, even if polyester is part of them! The brown deli-bakery uniforms remind me of the Burger King cashier outfits of the time. <br /><br />Jamcool - Bayless is a name I haven't heard in a long time. Phoenix, right?Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07788722183424550052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-65950342797679031112009-06-10T01:50:09.300-05:002009-06-10T01:50:09.300-05:00What's striking is how long they managed to li...What's striking is how long they managed to limp along. It sounds like they were operating horrible stores as early as the 70s. There have been many chains that went the penny pinching route, including National Tea, First national (in its New England-only days), Acme (pre-mergers), etc. and most of them crashed and burned far more quickly than W-D. <br /><br />The same thing happened out west with chains like Furr's and A.J. Bayless-old stores, indifferent management, and aggressive competitors.Jamcoolnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-50598712305118096042009-06-09T20:24:59.343-05:002009-06-09T20:24:59.343-05:00Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I worked for...Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I worked for Winn Dixie from 1979-1984, right when they were in the midst of the "MarketPlace" concept. The managment was never quite able to keep up with the times and we were always competing against Publix for business. I actually wore one of those hideous Blue and White cashier uniforms. They were polyester and awful.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02171848002711761714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-74152896031783628552009-06-09T20:22:36.182-05:002009-06-09T20:22:36.182-05:00Wow, thank you for the trip down memory lane. I wo...Wow, thank you for the trip down memory lane. I worked for Winn Dixie from 1979-1984, right in the midst of all of the changes. Publix was always our competion. I stopped shopping at the W/D when I stopped working there. The management never quite knew how to treat or motivate employees.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02171848002711761714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-11458720757718149492009-06-09T09:04:59.303-05:002009-06-09T09:04:59.303-05:00What's striking is how long they managed to li...What's striking is how long they managed to limp along. It sounds like they were operating horrible stores as early as the 70s. There have been many chains that went the penny pinching route, including National Tea, First national (in its New England-only days), Acme (pre-mergers), etc. and most of them crashed and burned far more quickly than W-D. The Marketplace stores are flashier than the 70s stores, but they look like cheap imitations of their competition. W-D also made other mistakes--adding odd departments like "melon bars" and expanding into markets where they were destined to fail like Cincinnati (Kroger's home turf) and the far exurbs of DC, when they should have been making better investments on their home turf. <br /><br />"Table Supply" was resurrected just before the bankruptcy to fill closed locations, mostly in Florida. Those stores sold almost exclusively house brand merchandise and were probably a way to keep the manufacturing part of the business going.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-21213807708845331982009-06-09T07:10:55.166-05:002009-06-09T07:10:55.166-05:00I've only ever been to Chicago land area and M...I've only ever been to Chicago land area and Milwaukee, but I'm still feeling this... Love the neon, great stuff as always!!!!Michael C. Jumichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07640608538704106342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1033289293807518844.post-29570607438985975432009-06-09T00:05:55.990-05:002009-06-09T00:05:55.990-05:00Hi, Dave! Great info on Winn Dixie! I used to tr...Hi, Dave! Great info on Winn Dixie! I used to travel to Florida with my aunt and uncle every year (by car) and we shopped at quite a few of these stores. When I lived in Florida I practically lived at Winn Dixie, as well--it was across the street from my apartment. Lots of good memories indeed.<br /><br />No offense to Howard Jones, but I'd go with The Beatles song. :)Kimnoreply@blogger.com