Aldi to replace Winn-Dixie on Dr. MLK Jr. Street North in St. Petersburg
/the winn-dixie at 3327 dr. MLK Jr. Street N. will be converted into an aldi grocery store | showcase.com
One of St. Petersburg's Winn-Dixie grocery stores is in line to be converted into an Aldi.
The German-based discount grocery chain will soon commence a $1.7 million renovation of the 46,048-square-foot Winn-Dixie at 3327 Dr. MLK Jr. Street North, according to an application filed in the city.
Today, Winn-Dixie has multiple stores throughout St. Pete, while Aldi has three existing stores at 34th Street North, 22nd Avenue North, and 34th Street South.
An aerial view of the winn-dixie property | showcase.com
The Winn-Dixie building is more than double the size of a typical Aldi store.
The Winn-Dixie on Dr. MLK Jr. Street North was last sold in 2022 for $10.5 million. St. Petersburg-based commercial real estate firm Paradise Ventures sold the property to South Florida-based entity Westwood Investments LTD.
The conversion plans come a year after Aldi announced plans to acquire Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket. The acquisition was completed earlier this year.
the exterior of a typical aldi store | aldi
"This summer we began a phased approach to the store conversion process. We anticipate that approximately 50 stores will begin the conversion process during the latter half of 2024, with the majority of these stores reopening as Aldi in 2025,” An Aldi spokesperson said in a statement to St. Pete Rising.
The Aldi spokesperson couldn't list the stores slated for the remodel but said a "meaningful amount" of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets will continue to operate under their current banner.
"With the acquisition of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets, Aldi will serve even more communities in the Southeast, bringing us closer to our customers in a region where we've already experienced significant demand for affordable, quality groceries," CEO Jason Hart said in a prepared statement.
Interior layout of an aldi store | aldi
The deal did not include the pharmacies that typically operate inside Winn-Dixie stores. Last year, Winn-Dixie announced it would transfer prescriptions from its stores to CVS and Walgreens.
The acquisition is a major strategic move in Aldi's plan to invest more than $9 billion over the next five years to add nearly 330 stores in the U.S. by the end of 2028.
The new and remodeled stores will have sustainable features such as energy-efficient LED lighting, environmentally friendly refrigeration systems, rooftop solar systems, and more, according to the company.
A timeline for renovation project has not been announced but other Winn-Dixie stores that have undergone conversions to Aldi supermarkets have temporarily closed during the re-branding.
