Old FL Best Buy Will Become A "Massive" Speciality Grocer With A Huge Produce Section & Food Court

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Floridians have plenty of grocery stores from which to choose. And you can easily shop based on what is important to you. For example, traditional shoppers may favor Publix while bargain hunters may like Aldi or Walmart. But Floridians looking for something very different may be open to trying Lotte Market, a specialty grocer with a focus on produce and its food court. And Jacksonville will be getting one in an old Best Buy.

About The Best Buy In Question: The Best Buy located at 9355 Atlantic Blvd closed in the spring of 2021 due to the company's consolidation of locations throughout the country.

The old store is 45,799 square feet and sits on almost 3.4 acres.

About Lotte Market: This is a specialty market because it specializes in Asian and Korean selections. However, everyday shoppers may find something to like, as Lotte Market has traditional departments such as grocery, meat, seafood, and produce areas.

A quick look at the grocer's weekly sales flyer shows that the grocer has a very large produce section offering exotic fruits and vegetables. There's also an international food court.

Of the produce department, the Orlando Real wrote:

"This place has one of the widest varieties of produce I’ve ever seen. It spans for what looks like more than ⅓ of this massive store..."

There are currently two Lotte's Markets in Florida - one in Orlando and one in Tampa. But a new one is planned and an early 2025 opening is hoped for.

The Tampa location earns 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. A reviewer named Penney wrote:

"I was very impressed when I walked into Lotte Plaza Market in Tampa. The store has a lot of different Asian products and plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and meat. There's a small food court with some seating. The store was extremely cleaned and well organized."

The Lotte's Market Coming To An Old Jacksonville Best Buy: Although this store has been planned for some time, permitting delays have meant that a 2025 opening is now more realistic.

President Alvin Lee told the Jax Daily Record:

“We believe we are near the finish line and the contractors are ready to go once the permits are issued It looks like a 1st quarter 2025 opening. We will do our best to open as quickly as we can.”

Another Market On The Way: President Lee has reportedly indicated that a Miami location is planned after the Jacksonville Best Buy location.

The author is not affiliated with Lotte Market or any other grocers or retailers.