Another FL Winn Dixie Confirmed To Become An Aldi With $1.9 Million Remodel - Some Residents Unhappy

Photo bySoutheastern Grocers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It probably will not come as a complete surprise to Floridians that one more Winn Dixie - this time in the Villages - is confirmed to become an Aldi. The grocer's purchase of 400 Winn Dixie stores last year means that some Winn Dixie stores will change over to Florida. Therefore, many Floridians can see the writing on the wall - that their local Winn Dixie may be converted. I've written about confirmations of Winn Dixie stores in Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lakeland, Deltona, and Pensacola converting. And now it is confirmed to be happening in the Villages and not all residents are happy.

About The Location In Question And The Confirmation: The Winn Dixie at 820 Old Camp Road in Lake Sumter Landing has been confirmed for Aldi conversion, according to Gulflive.com.

This Winn Dixie has been reviewed over 1,000 times and earns 4.2 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. Most were complimentary about the store, the customer service, and the selections - although a few called out specific instances where they had bad experiences. A reviewer named John wrote:

"Not like the other grocery stores I’ve been to. Extremely clean and very modern for the area. Perfect for The Villages."

The Nearly $2 Million Makeover For A Smaller Store: The current 57,545-square-foot Winn-Dixie will reportedly be revamped to a smaller Aldi store to the tune of around $1.9 million.

Some Residents Are Unhappy, But Some Like Aldi: On the forum The Talk Of The Villages, some residents expressed dissatisfaction with the conversation, although others disagreed. For example, a poster with the handle Jim 9922 wrote of the conversion, in part:

"...too bad for us Villagers. To me, from the few times I've been in an (Aldi,) they seem to be one step up from a gas station convenience store: limited, cluttered, grubby, disorganized, and a poor selection of quality healthy food..."

A poster with the handle Karmanng wrote, in part:

"The fruit there turns very fast........I already had bad chicken that was browning underneath after only being in the fridge overnight from purchase...you can't get the same items when needed as many are seasonal..."

However, not everyone agreed. Some praised Aldi's prices. For example, a poster with the handle Djean1981 wrote, in part:

"I absolutely love Aldi. Prices are way cheaper, smaller store, etc..."

The author is not affiliated with Aldi, Winn Dixie, or any other grocers.