After Southeastern Grocers shedding stores under its Winn-Dixie banner over the past year, the company is now gearing up for store growth in the new year with a renewed focus on its home base of Florida.
This past Saturday, Winn-Dixie opened its newest store in Williston, Florida, marking the grocer’s first new Florida location since Southeastern Grocers announced it would rebrand to The Winn-Dixie Company early next year, according to a Tuesday emailed press release.
The store, located at 434 E. Noble Ave., is one of the three storefronts Winn-Dixie recently acquired from Hitchcock’s Markets and showcases a new store concept featuring a modernized, refreshed experience that emphasizes convenience and community, per the announcement.
The grocer noted that acquiring and reopening the Hitchcock’s store allowed it to remain part of the local community and to onboard several Hitchcock’s employees.
The store opening comes as the grocery operator focuses on accelerated store updates, a renewed investment strategy and “community-first positioning” as part of its transition to The Winn-Dixie Company, according to the announcement.
Southeastern Grocers announced its rebranding in late October, stating the name change to The Winn-Dixie Company signals a renewed focus on Florida. The company offloaded most of its Winn-Dixie locations outside of Florida as part of the transition, including selling three Alabama stores to Food City, two Louisiana locations to the Brookshire Grocery Co. and 10 stores in Louisiana and Mississippi to Rouses Markets.
In Florida, Winn-Dixie already has two more stores slated for conversion: the remaining Hitchcock’s stores in Alachua and Keystone Heights, which will debut by summer 2026.
